Book Club Meeting: "The Glass Castle: A Memoir" (public event)

Join the Social Wave Book Club as we discuss The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls.

Jeannette Walls, a regular contributor to MSNBC.com, grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. In the beginning, the family lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated a the dismal West Virginia mining town. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.