Jeannette Walls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeannette Walls
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Walls in 2009
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| Born | April 21, 1960 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, columnist |
| Education | Barnard College |
| Genre | Nonfiction |
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Jeannette Walls (born April 21, 1960) is an American author and journalist. She is well-known for her book The Glass Castle. This book is a true story about her childhood and growing up in a family that moved around a lot. It was published in 2005 and became a huge success. The book stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for many years. Jeannette Walls has also received awards like the Alex Award and the Christopher Award.
Contents
Jeannette Walls' Early Life and School
Jeannette Walls was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 21, 1960. Her parents were Rex and Rose Mary Walls. She has two sisters, Lori and Maureen, and one brother, Brian. Her family moved often, living in different places like Phoenix, California, Battle Mountain, Nevada, and Welch, West Virginia. Sometimes, they even experienced homelessness. When they settled in Welch, West Virginia, they lived in a small house without running water or heat.
At age 17, Jeannette moved to New York City. She joined her sister Lori, who was already there. Jeannette worked hard and received help from grants and scholarships. She was able to attend Barnard College. She studied Liberal Arts and graduated with honors in 1984.
Jeannette Walls' Writing Career
Jeannette Walls started her career at a newspaper in Brooklyn. She became a full-time reporter there. Later, she wrote columns for magazines like New York and Esquire. From 1998 to 2007, she wrote a popular gossip column called "Scoop" for MSNBC.com. She also wrote for USA Today and appeared on TV shows like The Today Show and CNN.
Books by Jeannette Walls
In 2000, Jeannette Walls published a book called Dish: The Inside Story on the World of Gossip. This book was a funny look at how gossip has been important in American media and life.
Her most famous book, The Glass Castle, came out in 2005. This memoir shares the happy and challenging parts of her childhood. It gives readers a look into her unique family life. The book was very popular with both critics and readers. It has sold over 4 million copies and has been translated into 31 languages. It won several awards, including the Christopher Award and the American Library Association's Alex Award.
The story of The Glass Castle was made into a movie. Paramount Pictures bought the rights to the book. The film, also called The Glass Castle, was released in 2017. Actress Brie Larson played Jeannette Walls in the movie.
In 2009, Walls published her first novel, Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel. This book is based on the life of her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith. The New York Times Book Review named it one of the ten best books of 2009.
Her second novel, The Silver Star, was published in 2013. Her third novel, Hang the Moon, was released in March 2023. The Washington Post praised Hang the Moon for its exciting plot twists. The newspaper noted that Walls creates rich stories about "people with dreams and vulnerabilities, tough folk in rough situations."
Jeannette Walls' Personal Life
Jeannette Walls married Eric Goldberg in 1988, but they divorced in 1996. In 2002, she married John J. Taylor, who is also a writer. They live on a farm outside Culpeper, Virginia.
See also
In Spanish: Jeannette Walls para niños
