Jeannette Walls book signing

 

"One time I saw a tiny Joshua tree sapling growing not too far from the old tree. I wanted to dig it up and replant it near our house. I told Mom that I would protect it from the wind and water it every day so that it could grow nice and tall and straight. Mom frowned at me. "You'd be destroying what makes it special," she said. "It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty."

The Glass Castle

 

This week author Jeannette Walls stopped by my favorite Jackson bookstore for a book signing and reading. My book club read her two books, The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses, this past fall so we were excited to meet her. During the reading, she touched on these important topics:

1. The importance of education and reading. Jeannette was raised by rather unconventional (to put it mildly) parents. They may have lived in impoverished conditions but always had access to an education and reading. The world is full of hope and opportunities for those who value the importance of these two things. I'm so thankful to have two parents who constantly had us at the library or competing for who could win the most stickers through the Pizza Hut Read It Program!

2. There is no right or wrong when telling a story. We all experience life differently. The most important thing is that the story is told.

 

3. We may not understand the people around us but we can accept them. Life is too short to hold grudges.

 

A few tidbits for my fellow book clubbers:

 

1. Jeannette said she wrote the book for two different people. The first was for girls who were raised with everything and were never nice to those kids who had mismatched shoes or a threadbare jacket. Her hope was that this book would expose them to a life they could never imagine and that would lead them to treat others with respect. The second person was the girl who needed the hope that things could get better.

2. The book has been optioned by a production company (Brad Pitt's?). Hopefully we'll see a movie in the next year years! 

 

3. Jeanette's favorite memory of her father was when he gave her Venus for her birthday. While many readers are appalled by how her parents raised Jeannette and her siblings, Jeanette points out that many of the wealthy people she met in New York said they wished their parents would have spent that type of time with them.

 

4. She's been on tour for Half Broke Horses non-stop but is still considering writing a third book (topic TBD).

5. Jeanette's brother, Brian, is a retired police officer and now teaches 9th grade English. Lori is doing well and Maureen is living in California. Jeannette's mother lives with her Jeannette and family in Virginia.