Life in Welch, West Virginia is completely different than the life the Walls led in the desert on the West coast. They leave the desert and relocate to Welch, West Virginia, the town where Rex grew up, to find better prospects. Life in the desert ends when Rex's alcoholism worsens and the family runs out of funds.
While living in the desert Jeannette begins a rock collection and explores the natural and man-made features of the environment with her brother Brian. As Jeannette grows up in the desert she is enchanted by the limitless bounds of nature and the fantasies her father dreams up for her and her siblings.
This part of the work is characterized by frequent moves from town to town. Humor frequently imbues the work with a light-spirited tone.įor the first half of the work, the family lives in various mining towns on the West Coast of America. Though the family is dysfunctional, the memoir communicates itself without condemning either of the Walls parents. Constantly short on cash and food, the family moves around the country frequently and tries to re-settle.
The Glass Castle details the story of Jeannette Walls and her family.