I thought The Glass Castle was very well-written and thoroughly entertaining. But what amazes me isn't Jeannette's "resilience," but the general public's easy acceptance that this story is even remotely TRUE.

Let's just start with the fact that the book begins when she is three. Who else remembers their life from the age of three in vivid detail? C'mon, people. A vivid imagination maybe.

When I was 13, my parents hired an older woman to babysit for me and my three siblings for a week. She turned out to be an alcoholic. I put up with her antics for about 3 days. I then packed up my younger siblings and whisked them out of the house to safety. Didn't anyone aside from myself wonder why these four seemingly intelligent and resourceful children did nothing for 15 years while they lived without food or running water under such deplorable conditions? Mats and head lice? Piles of garbage? Homeless? Body odor and filthy clothes?

Just the personal hygiene issues alone would have been appalling. Jeannette never bothered to mention why their teeth weren't falling out of their heads. Yes, wasn't it cute that she fashioned braces out of a hanger, but I am quite sure they weren't brushing their teeth every night/flossing. And malnutrition would have caused rampant gum disease. And what happened when the girls got their periods? Apparently they went without feminine hygiene products since there was no money in the house. How charming.

Obviously I could go on. But apparently I am the only one who can see that the Emperor isn't wearing any clothes.