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Quote by Jeannette Walls

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The Glass Castle: A Memoir

In this memoir, the author recounts her childhood spent in a mobile home, her parents' struggle with alcoholism and mental illness, and the resilience it took to navigate such a tumultuous upbringing. more

Author

Jeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls

Jeannette Walls is an American author who gained fame with her memoir, 'The Glass Castle'. The book tells the story of her upbringing in poverty and chaos with her family in the American West. more

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“Listen- all that she was then, all that she is now, those gestures, everything I remember but won't or can't articulate anymore, the perfect words that are somehow made imperfect when used to describe her and all that should remain unsaid about her- it is all unsupported by reason. I know that. But that enigmatic calm that attaches itself to people in the presence of reason- it's something from which I haven't been able to take comfort, not reliably, not since her.”

“... I see the green earth covered with the works of man or with the ruins of men’s work. The pyramids weigh down the earth, the tower of Babel has pierced the sky, the lovely temples and the gray castles have fallen into ruins. But of all those things which hands have built, what hasn’t fallen nor ever will fall? Dear friends, throw away the trowel and mortarboard! Throw your masons’ aprons over your heads and lie down to build dreams! What are temples of stone and clay to the soul? Learn to build eternal mansions of dreams and visions!”

“What?" I asked uneasily. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He shook his head, the smile rueful now. "Because sometimes, a person can get so caught up in the details that they miss the whole. It's not just the dress or the hair. It's YOU. You're beautiful. So beautiful, it hurts me.”