An Audio Book Review – The Glass Castle

Glass Castle: A Memoir, Jeannette WallsTitle: The Glass Castle
Author: Jeannette Walls
Narrator: Jeannette Walls
Length: 10 hours, 28 minutes

If listening to interesting people telling fascinating stories is your kinda thing then you’ve got to check out a few memoirs from our audio book library. Some of the best audio books are those that tell the life stories of remarkable, hilarious or celebrated people in the world. Even better, listening to someone read their own memoir is like sitting with an old friend, reminiscing and exchanging past memories (only you don’t have to share yours).

If you’re new to memoirs (or audio books in general) a great book to start with is Jeannette Walls‘ memoir, The Glass Castle—a book that was meant to be listened to. It’s an unforgettable (and almost unbelievable) story of a nomadic, deprived childhood and a dysfunctional and extremely captivating family. Her stories are funny, heart wrenching and gripping and her childhood adventures of scavenger hunts in the desert and late-night escapes from the family’s latest town prove that real life can be even more interesting than fiction.

Throughout the audio book, Jeannette shares her childhood memories, describing the tragic events that came along with having parents like Rex and Rose Mary Walls (let’s just say they were no Ozzie and Harriet). Rex is brilliant, but struggles with alcoholism and can’t hold down a job while Rose Mary is an artist who resents the responsibility that comes with being a parent.

In her career as a gossip columnist, Jeannette was used to uncovering other people’s intimate details. But through her memoir, she bravely exposes her own unconventional and upsetting past and candidly shares all of the joys and struggles she faces as she tries to hold her family together.

Jeannette’s memoir is a story of survival—a beautiful testament to the resilience of the human heart and soul.

If you enjoyed The Glass Castle, you’ll also love these top audio books:

I'm Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen—My Journey Home, Malachy Doyle, Shoshana Johnson     Always Looking Up, Michael J. Fox     Teacher Man: A Memoir, Frank McCourt   Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain, Portia De Rossi


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One thought on “An Audio Book Review – The Glass Castle

  1. “Jeannette Walls has carved a story with precision and grace out of one of the most chaotic, heartbreaking childhoods ever to be set down on the page. This deeply affecting memoir is a triumph in every possible way, and it does what all good books should: it affirms our faith in the human spirit.”

    — Dani Shapiro, author of Family History