- Who wins the Worst Parent award? Mom or Dad?
- Why does Jeannette divide her memoir into five parts? How is each part a significant time in her life?
- Why does Jeannette begin the memoir in a present-day moment, then flash back to her childhood? How does the initial impression of her mother as a homeless woman affect your reading?
- The Glass Castle is Jeannette's memoir. How would the story be different if told by one of her siblings? What would their side(s) of the story be like?
- If your childhood were like Jeannette's, how would you feel today? Would you be able to forgive your parents? Would you still see them?
- Does Jeannette's family remind you of anyone you know? What other memoirs does this book remind you of?
- The Glass Castle is a perennial best seller. Why is the book still popular years after its release? What do people like about Jeannette's story?