Books to Hold Onto and Remember

The Glass Castle is an unbelieveable memoir. This story is so real with such strong emphasis on the situation, that it is hard for one to believe that the entire tale is based on a true story. The aurthor recounts everything from childhood (down to the age of 3) with such precision.

The basis of the story is a family of 4 children and two parents who struggle through poverty. Their poverty not only stems from bad decisions about credit, but from the choice of living the simple life over extravagance. Within the possession of the family is property and physical items which can be sold for millions, but instead the head of the household choses to live under run-down rooftops and in less than adaquate neighborhoods.

Told in the author's voice and point of view, you follow her artistic mother (whose ideas of wealth are beyond skin deep), her alcohol father, and her three siblings through their varying and solidifying lives.

A book of this context is great for readers who are from both fortionate and less fortionate backgrounds. If you feel that your childhood was bad, then read this book and you may beg to differ. If you are striving to learn about those who are bad off, but fail to see themselves this way, then this may change you perspective on the homeless and the struggling.

Another similar book to consider is Living at the Edge of the World. This book is a fictional text, but seems very real due to its context. In this novel, one follows one girl through her struggle to leave her troubled home, and as a result she ends up living in Grand Central Train Station of New York. The chapters alternate, with every other chapter being in the past and present. From her broken home life to her present situation on the streets of New York City. Situations which happen to this sixteen year old girl are unforgettable and plot of this book with stick with you for years. I read this book ad wrote a 14 page thesis on it 7 years ago, but remember it like I read it only a few months ago. Unfortionately, this book is very hard to find, and one must order it online due to the limited amount of copies now available.
More information on either of these great books can be found at Amazon.