When I read this book I was shocked. I had my doubts as to whether it was true or not, especially after I had read "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frye, which was passed off as a memoir initially, but is now acknowledged as a work of fiction. Turns out there is plenty of corroboration that The Glass Castle is accurate. I was at turns horrified that parents could treat their children with such neglect, while at the same time realizing that they were inadvertently preparing those kids for anything. The movie is pretty crappy, by the way. Just stick to reading the book.