I thought that this book was brilliant. There were so many events that happened that I found myself rereading to make sure I understand where we were and what was going on. I would like to respond to a few of the other reviews. The inconsistencies of this novel are not too hard to imagine. Think about it, a woman is recalling her childhood. Her father gambled and played poker that is how he made money. The mother received money from her land in Texas. It was for oil. Didn't you read the part about the million dollar parcel that her brother left behind. I think that the details you are looking for are not important and therefore Ms. Walls did not speak of them. The glass castle is a fantasy for a better life than what they had, but it about everything it was a dream.