The Desert
Fear; hides
What are the Walls kids not allowed to do in Erma's house because it gets on her nerves?
Laugh
What ironic question does Rex ask Jeannette shortly before his death?
"Have I ever let you down?"
The town prostitute in Welch, WV
Ginnie Sue Pastor
The Joshua Tree
"It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty." ~Beauty in struggle/hardship
What is Jeannette's earliest memory?
Catching fire while cooking hotdogs
Why do the kids think Rex is acting "really weird" after they tell him what happened to Brian?
Possibly because Rex was also abused by Erma
What does Rose Mary ask to borrow from Jeannette towards the end of the book? Why?
A million dollars to buy Uncle Jim's land
Bullies Jeannette in Welch; they eventually become friends and go to the local pool together
Dinitia Hewitt
Geode
The Prospector
Give me 3 concrete details about the house on Little Hobart Street
No indoor plumbing; leak in the roof; Rufus the rat; yellow bucket; stairs are caved in; no refrigeration; electrical shocks from the appliances; dingy gray (half-painted yellow)
How is Jeannette's boyfriend Eric different from Rex?
He is organized, detailed, decent, responsible, never gambled, or lost his temper.
Ernie Goad
Calls Jeannette and her siblings "trash"; they engage in the Battle of Little Hobart Street
The Glass Castle foundation
Filled with trash; the death of the children's dreams and faith in Rex
When Rex gambled, he preferred these two games of skill
Poker & pool
Who is Jeanette Bivens?
Jeannette (and Rex's!) English teacher; in charge of the Maroon Wave
How does Rex help Jeannette when she is short on funds to cover the tuition for her final year of college?
He plays poker and gives her his winnings of $950 plus a mink coat worth another $50.
Billy Deel
Venus
Jeannette admits she's hungry, which breaks one of the family's unspoken rules. What is that rule?
To always pretend like life was one great adventure
What selfless act does Jeannette offer to Lori when Mrs. Sanders offers Jeannette a summer job?
She tells Mrs. Sanders to hire Lori instead of her & buy her a bus ticket to New York at summers’ end.
What “newsworthy” event welcomed Rex and Rose Mary to New York three years after Jeannette had arrived?
The police were clearing the highway from a broken down van who’d spilled all of its belongings.
West Texas flapper with a foul mouth; probably the most stable adult in Jeannette's life
Grandma Smith
Ham - "Just slice off the maggoty parts. The inside's fine."
Metaphor for Jeannette's resilience! Her childhood was traumatic, but inside she's fine -- she's thrived.