THE BOOKSHELF.

MY PICK OF THE MONTH - THE GLASS CASTLE - BY JEANNETTE WALLS.

This month's book is an autobiography by an American Journalist, Jeanette Walls.

The story opens with Jeannette riding in a taxi in an opulent part of New York City. She is on her way to a VIP party. When the taxi stops at a set of traffic lights, Jeannette notices an older woman foraging through a garbage can. Jeannette recognises the woman to be her mother, a self-proclaimed painter from a middle-class background.

The juxtaposition between the mother and daughter was what kept me reading. I was fascinated by the image of the scavenger mother, and wanted to know more about her plight.

There's also the lingering question, "Why is Jeannette's life so different to her mother's?" My curiosity was satisfied by a captivating and enthralling portrayal of destitution, neglect and the bonds of family throughout the novel.

Jeannette and family photos.

The book is approximately 340 pages and showcases the life of Jeannette and her disfunctional family: a timid mother prone to hallucinations, a shady alcholic father, and her three siblings. The Walls are constantly moving around America with Jeannette's father promising to make each move the one that sees them finding their fortune and building a glass castle. The memoir is a moving story of identity, the coming of age and feminine strength. The structure is mostly chronological, charting Jennettes's early childhood through to her teens and into early adulthood.

Take it from me, The Glass Castle is a riveting read, one that will take you on a spellbinding journey around America.

CRW.