Jeannette
Walls was born in Phoenix, Ariz., and grew up in the southwest and in Welch, W.Va.
She graduated from Barnard College and was a journalist in New York City for 20
years. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, a New York Times bestseller for more than three years, has sold over
2.5 million copies in the U.S. alone and has been translated into 22 languages,
making it one of the bestselling memoirs of all time. A stunning and
beautifully written account of overcoming a challenging childhood with her
unusual, dysfunctional but vibrant family, The Glass Castle has received
many honors, including the Christopher Award for helping to "affirm the
highest values of the human spirit," as well as the American Library
Association's Alex Award and a Books for Better Living Award.
Walls followed The Glass Castle with Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel,
the fascinating story of Lily Casey Smith, Jeannette Walls's own grandmother.
At age six, Lily was helping her father break horses and at 15, she left home
on her own--riding 500 miles on a pony--to teach in a frontier town. An
indomitable and unforgettable character, Lily Casey Smith learned to drive a
car, fly a plane and, with her husband, Jim, she ran a ranch in Arizona. A survivor
in every sense, Lily Casey Smith challenged discrimination against women and
Native Americans and endured great personal tragedy. Lily's daughter, Rosemary
Smith Walls, is Jeannette's unforgettably unique mother whom readers will
remember from her vivid portrayal in The
Glass Castle. Here, Walls channels her grandmother's frontier spirit in a
story that is a testament to the bonds of family, perseverance and the essence
of true independence.
The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses are book club favorites, for which Walls is
tremendously grateful. Both books deal with fundamental issues of family
and identity, topics that resonate with readers, who will find their own
stories within Walls's personal experiences. While her work has allowed her to
come to terms with her own past, Walls finds even greater satisfaction that
her books have allowed readers to feel comfortable discussing--and reconciling--similar
experiences in their own pasts. "One of the reasons I love writing
true-life stories," Walls says, "is that the truth is more nuanced
than fiction. If you're willing to dig deep enough, the truth is there."