This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading.
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Where is Jeannette Walls’ family now? Are the Walls children living happy adult lives?
Jeannette Walls’ family now are all adults, living independent lives. According to the end of her memoir, Jeannette Walls’ family now lives in the New York City area, and is still in touch.
Read more about Jeannette Walls’ family now and how they have overcome the odds.
Jeannette Walls’ Family Now: Missing Maureen
So where is Jeannette Walls’ family now, and where are Jeannette Walls’ siblings today? While Lori, Brian, and Jeannette continued to move up in their careers, Maureen struggled. She graduated from high school and enrolled in one of the city colleges, but she didn’t take it seriously. Eventually, she dropped out and moved in with her parents. She started working random jobs that never lasted and accepted the kindness of men who wanted to care for her.
The longer Maureen stayed with her parents, the worse her life became. She stopped working, stopped leaving the apartment, and took up smoking and reading as her daily activities. But her relationship with Rex was strained. She called him a worthless drunk, and he shot back that she was pathetic and should have been drowned at birth.
Jeannette tried to bring Maureen back to life, but she saw that her sister was too far gone. Maureen chain-smoked while rambling about Mormon cults in Utah, even accusing Jeannette of being part of one. Jeannette was sure she was on drugs, but she couldn’t convince Maureen to seek help. Rose Mary wouldn’t help either. She thought everyone was making too big a deal. Unfortunately, Maureen is one of the saddest endings to Jeannette Walls’ siblings today.
After another six months, Maureen snapped. Rose Mary told her that she would have to move out and learn to fend for herself. In response, Maureen stabbed her. Maureen was arrested, convicted, and sent to a mental facility Upstate. A year later, she was released and bought a ticket to California. She wouldn’t allow anyone to see her off, so the morning of her departure, Jeannette woke early and whispered to the air, “I’m sorry, Maureen.” She’d let her sister down. Other than Maureen, Jeannette Walls’ siblings today are all living and working in New York.
Reunion
And what about Jeannette Walls’ family now? Do they still see each other? Jeannette Walls’ family now is without Rex, the family patriarch. Five years after Rex’s death, the family gathered at Jeannette’s home for Thanksgiving. She was remarried and living in an old farmhouse Upstate. Her relationship with Rose Mary had dwindled over the years, and her mother had never met John, her new husband.
Jeannette and John picked Lori and Rose Mary up from the train station. Jeannette smiled at the ease with which John related to her family. He was also a writer and published a few books and magazine articles. He was warm and compassionate and had a teenage daughter from a previous marriage.
Back at the house, Brian waited with his eight-year-old daughter, Veronica. He and his wife had also divorced, and he now lived in a house he renovated in Brooklyn. Brian had moved up in the force to sergeant detective running a unit that investigated organized crime.
At dinner, Rose Mary made an announcement. After fifteen years squatting in the abandoned tenement, she and the other squatters were being granted ownership of their homes. She also said she’d heard from Maureen, who was still in California. None of the children had spoken to Maureen since she left New York. They were delighted that Mauren was thinking of visiting.
The family reminisced about the craziness of the past and all of Rex’s antics, including those that showcased how much he cared about his kids. John proposed a toast to Rex, and Rose Mary raised her glass. She said, “Life with your father was never boring.” Jeannette could almost hear her father laughing from wherever he was. Jeannette Wall’s family now is still in touch.
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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best summary of Jeannette Walls's "The Glass Castle" at Shortform .
Here's what you'll find in our full The Glass Castle summary :
- The author's unbelievable childhood as her absent parents went on alcoholic binges
- How Jeannette and her siblings escaped their parents to strike out on their own
- The complicated relationship Jeannette had with her parents before they died
