Jeannette Walls has a new (Oct 2009) book out titled Half Broke Horses. There are many reviews of it on the web. I've just learned of this and thought I would pass it along for any who aren't aware of it.
Johnny, Thanks for taking the time to mention Jeannette's latest publication. I read "Half Broke Horses" in October. It is a very entertaining, and often down right amusing, story about Jeannette's grandmother who grew up in the early 1900s in Arizona. I enjoyed the book so much, I didn't want it to end.
I am always so impressed, and pleased for Jeannette, when I read articles such as the one found HERE.
As of 1/29/2010, Jeannette's book, "The Glass Castle" has been on the New York Times best-seller list for over three years, has sold over two million copies, and was named one of the "Top 10 Books of the Decade" by Amazon.com. And "Half Broke Horses," which currently ranks among the top 20 best selling hard-cover fictional books, is included in the New York Times selection of the 10 best books of 2009!
Alan, Jeannette Walls attended WHS with the class of 1978. Her father, Rex Walls, grew up in Roderfield, enlisted in the Air Force shortly after graduating from WHS in 1952, and met Jeannette's mother while he was stationed (I forget exactly where) in or near Arizona. I copied the following from http://www.bookbrowse.com/biographies/index.cfm?author_number=1128:
"One of four siblings, Jeannette Walls was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1960. Her family lived in various southwestern towns before settling in Welch, West Virginia when she was ten. She moved to New York City at age 17 and graduated from Columbia University's Barnard College with honors in 1984. She went on to become a reporter for New York magazine, Esquire and USA Today. She has appeared regularly on television, including the Today Show, CNN and PrimeTimeLive and is widely known as a former gossip columnist for MSNBC.com."
Rex Walls was the son of my father's sister so he and his brother Stanley were my first cousins. When growing up I don't ever remember visiting Aunt Erma and Uncle Ted anywhere except in Welch. I don't remember the name of the street but it was over near the court house and the one which wound up the hill toward where the black population lived. It was also one which my family and I would go up to cross the mountain to get to where we lived at Blakely Field. Aunt Erma's house was almost right on the street and I remember she always kept the curtains closed because she didn't want anyone to see into the house when they walked past. We would always have to pass Aunt Erma's house when we walked to town (which we did often) Rex WAS older than me; I remember how handsome and nice I thought he was; not mean like Stanley. I was still at home (a teenager) when he moved to Little Hobart Street after he was married. I lived on Little Hobart Street too, only a couple of houses away. The whole time I was growing up I never knew the family ever lived in Roderfield....imagine that! Shirley
