一部感人肺腑的傳記回憶錄；一段奇特不尋常的成長經驗

　　一個用意志、勇氣戰勝逆境的真實故事

　　這本自傳體的回憶錄，被《明星論壇報》譽為普立茲得獎作品媲美《安琪拉的灰燼》。書中女主人翁珍娜．沃爾斯用敘事的手法，記錄了她和三個兄弟姊妹在失意潦倒的藝術家母親羅絲瑪麗，和她聰明過人但酗酒賭博的父親自生自滅式教養之下，傷痕累累，衣不蔽體，翻垃圾桶覓食，掙扎著長大成人，最終脫離顛沛流離貧民生活的歷程。她不適任的父母晚年選擇過著「冒險式」的街頭遊民生活。本書就是在作者描述自己坐在紐約公園大道的計程車裡，赫然看見自己的母親在路旁垃圾箱翻箱倒櫃覓食的場景中展開。作者有時傷感、有時歇斯底里、有時心碎，但卻始終沒有自怨自艾，她充滿理解、愛和接受的寫作風格，讓讀者感受到親情的包容與偉大。

　　作者珍娜．沃爾斯，有一對很特別的父母：他們對人生懷著不切實際的理想，又頑固地不肯妥協。生長在這樣的家庭，似乎是個詛咒，卻也帶來了救贖。雷克斯和瑪麗，生了四個子女。一開始，這家人過著游牧般的生活，在美國西南部的沙漠城鎮中四處漂泊，或者在山間露營。這個家的父親雷克斯，天資聰穎、魅力十足，清醒的時候，他啟發孩子的想像力，教他們物理、地質學，更教他們無所畏懼地擁抱生命。而這個家的母親羅絲瑪麗，喜愛繪畫、寫作，卻懶得養家活口，她形容自己「對刺激上了癮」；與其花時間煮一頓十五分鐘內就吃得精光的飯，她寧願用這些時間來創作一幅可能永垂不朽的畫。

　　然而，當積蓄花光，當流浪生涯的浪漫多彩逐漸消褪，這家人只好逃到西維吉尼亞州的一個小礦鄉。這個家的男主人，開始無所不用其極地逃避現實；經常喝得爛醉不說，還不時偷走家用，再失蹤個好幾天。儘管家庭的狀況日益惡化，珍娜和幾個姊弟妹始終互相扶持，因而能夠在父母親背叛他們時安然度過。最後，在累積了足夠的積蓄和決心之後，他們終於勇敢出走。

　　本書最震撼人心的地方在於，作者不僅擁有過人的勇氣、毅力與智慧，更在字裡行間表現了對父母的深情與寬容。這是一個克服逆境的故事，更是一個無比溫柔、感人至深的故事：儘管生長在一個不健全的家庭，作者卻展現了無條件的愛，並以驚人的意志力走出了自己的人生。

　　★本書中譯本《玻璃城堡》由樂果文化出版

作者簡介

珍娜．沃爾斯（Jeannette Walls）

　　生於亞歷桑那州鳳凰城，以優異的成績畢業於紐約柏納德學院（Barnard College）。曾任《紐約》、《君子》（Esquire）、《GQ》等雜誌記者，亦為知名新聞網站MSNBC.com撰稿。現居北維吉尼亞州專事寫作，為作家約翰．泰勒（John Taylor）之妻。

In the tradition of Mary Karr''s The Liars'' Club and Rick Bragg''s All Over But the Shouting, Jeannette Walls has written a stunning and life-affirming memoir about surviving a willfully impoverished, eccentric, and severely misguided family.

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children''s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn''t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents'' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.