It's an absolute miracle Walls lived
to tell her family's story. Growing up with parents who did more things wrong
than they did right, Walls found every day to be an adventure, and their
unconventional view of life made this story a real page-turner.
And although I felt sickened a time
or two, through each of my gasps and chuckles, I couldn't help but fall in love
with her father for his unrelenting optimism and passion for life, and with her
mother for the determination she had to preserve the artist within. The
non-domesticated and carefree ways in which her parents navigated through life
molded Walls into the writer she would someday become.
I came away from the story with a new
appreciation for the simple conveniences and pleasures in life, like running
water and going to bed having satisfied my hunger. Each scene was told with
immaculate sensory, allowing me to feel the cold on my skin and the hunger in
my own gut. This story provided me with a fresh look at life. I admire Walls
and each of her siblings, not only for surviving, but for seeing the beauty in
what her parents truly tried to impart. I found charm in her alcoholic father,
as well as in her mother who was bent on making sure her needs were met first.
There was something refreshingly human about both of them.
I highly recommend this memoir for anybody looking for an
entertaining read. But be warned, while you will laugh out loud a time or two,
the honesty will change you forever.
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