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.
If this is a book you haven't yet read, prepare to be angered. Several times during reading, I would stop and express my distaste of the book to Sean. Don't get me wrong, this book is.... amazing. The anger is towards the parents, Rex and Rose Mary Walls. My heart broke several times while reading this book, and it was absolutely astonishing to read Jeannette's caring and kind words of her parents. In the beginning of the book, she tells a story of how she burned herself, badly I might add, at the age of 3 while trying to cook a hot dog without any adult supervision. I immediately understood that these parents were no good. While continuing through the story, I didn't know how to feel. Rex and Rose Mary clearly have very good intentions for their children, they are trying to teach them the important values of life, it's just how they go about it that is baffling.
Reading about the Walls' children's horrible upbringing and poverty conditions, I have nothing left to complain about in my whole life. While people are aware that things could always be worse, some of the details in this book made me so angry, sad, heartbroken, disgusted, yet hopeful at the same time. It's amazing how these kids were stomped down so low, and still didn't complain. They still loved their parents, and while they may have been put off for a short period and seemed to completely give up, they always some how found the courage to start over again. Jeannette's stories of maggots in their meat that they had no choice but to eat anyways, rats in their kitchen, no indoor plumbing, sleeping on cardboard, bathing once a month in used and dirty water, it really put things into perspective. They would go days without eating, nearly always having literally no food in the house. Her father stealing money to go gambling, or drinking, while his children sat at home to starve was infuriating. Learning of the children's plan to escape and move far away gave me so much hope that they would be able to have a life of their own, and no longer have to live under their parents dysfunctional life views. Without sounding too cliche, this story is truly hopeful and inspirational. You feel so much for these poor children and are so proud of their high hopes that sometimes feel like a pipe dream. I would say this book is honestly a must read for everyone, if not to read a story of redemption, but simply to be so thankful for the minor luxuries you have.