Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn
nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and
Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived
like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the
mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober,
captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics,
geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary,
who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of
providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict."
Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no
appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.
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.
What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that
she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that
she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity.
Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender,
moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its
profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a
successful life on her own terms.
For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells
her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New
York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.
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