Inspiring memoir

Some of you may be familiar with the name Jeannette Walls. She is the gossip columnist for msnbc.com who delivers the scoop on celebrities Mondays through Thursdays. Ms. Walls has written a very inspiring personal memoir. She tells a story of achievement and success despite the background of extreme poverty and irresponsible parents. It is also a story about homelessness.

Walls’ dysfunctional childhood reminded me of Nicolas Sparks’ childhood as presented in the book, Three Weeks With My Brother. Interestingly Ms. Walls is the second child of four children and Nicolas is the second of three children. Both had mothers who were teachers. Both write with love for their dysfunctional family in their memoirs and express no bitterness about their neglectful and somewhat abusive parents.

I could tell this book was going to hold my interest after I read the first line, “I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster.” Why was her mother searching through the garbage? In the first three pages Walls introduces us to her mother, Rose Mary, who is filthy and lives on the streets of New York. Walls, on the other hand, was living in an apartment with Persian rugs and leather armchairs. In those first three pages she shares with us her shame and embarrassment but also her desire to help change the lives of her destitute parents. Her mother’s response was, “Your values are all confused” and “You’re way too easily embarrassed. You father and I are who we are. Accept it.” It was clear at this point that her parents had chosen to live on the streets. Why? How could anyone choose to eat from the garbage? I had to read on.

All my questions were answered and more as the story developed and Walls explained how the family eventually ended up in New York. It is the children in this family who took control, raised themselves and escaped from a life of poverty.

This is one of those books that will stir your emotions. I felt anger just reading about Walls’ immature and neglectful parents but there was also laughter and sympathy when reading about Walls’ experiences. I felt admiration for her courage to come out in the open and address the shameful secrets of her background. There is only one thing lacking, I would have liked to see more pictures of the family.