If you enjoy reading books by Jeannette Walls then you might also like the following authors:
Readers who enjoyed Jeannette Walls’s memoir “The Glass Castle” will appreciate Tara Westover’s “Educated.” Tara Westover shares her own remarkable life story of growing up isolated from society in a survivalist family in rural Idaho.
With no formal education and a household distrustful of the world beyond, she spends her childhood under her father’s strict ideas and her older brother’s threat of violence. As Tara grows older, she seeks out education and manages, despite obstacles, to attend college.
Her journey towards knowledge and self-discovery comes at a steep emotional cost and challenges her loyalty to her family. “Educated” is a vivid memoir about resilience, struggle, and the complicated nature of family.
Readers who enjoy Jeannette Walls might also appreciate Cheryl Strayed for her authentic storytelling and emotional honesty. Strayed’s memoir “Wild” follows her solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail after her personal life spiraled into turmoil.
With very little hiking experience, she faces physical challenges, emotional struggles, and moments of profound clarity. Her honest reflections about grief, self-discovery, and resilience draw you into her journey.
Strayed shares her past openly, including her mother’s death and her own difficult personal choices, presenting an unfiltered and deeply moving story about loss, courage, and healing.
Readers who enjoyed Jeannette Walls may also appreciate Mary Karr, a writer known for honest memoirs that explore challenging childhood experiences with dark humor and vivid storytelling.
Her memoir “The Liars’ Club” takes readers back to her upbringing in a rough Texas refinery town. Karr shares her memories of navigating family struggles, eccentric characters, and the unpredictable behavior of her parents.
Her storytelling captures pain, wit, and warmth, and it paints a clear picture of how complicated and resilient family bonds can be.
Elizabeth Strout is an American author known for writing novels that capture complex family relationships and deep personal struggles. If you enjoyed Jeannette Walls’ memoirs about family dynamics, you may appreciate Strout’s “Olive Kitteridge.”
This book tells the story of Olive, a retired schoolteacher in a small coastal town in Maine. Olive is blunt, often difficult, yet deeply human. The story reveals her relationships with neighbors, friends, and family, told through connected short stories.
Each chapter sheds light on the hidden joys, disappointments, and secrets that make up everyday life. Strout portrays authentic characters with realism and warmth, making readers feel like part of Olive’s world.
Ann Patchett is an author whose novels often explore the complexities of family relationships and unforgettable characters, themes readers of Jeannette Walls are sure to enjoy.
Her book “Commonwealth” tells the story of two families forever changed after a chance encounter at a family party leads to divorce and remarriage. Through decades, Patchett skillfully examines how the consequences of family choices ripple through generations.
Siblings navigate loyalty, betrayal, and secrets, captured with warmth, wit, and incredible emotional insight. For anyone intrigued by messy family bonds and believable yet flawed characters, “Commonwealth” offers a richly told story that resonates deeply.
Alice Sebold is an author whose work often confronts difficult subjects with clarity and vivid storytelling. Her memoir “Lucky” explores her own experiences following a traumatic assault during her college years.
Sebold describes her pain and courage openly, reflecting on how she navigated the justice system and coped with the aftermath.
Readers who appreciate Jeannette Walls’ honesty in “The Glass Castle” may find Sebold’s writing style similarly impactful and straightforward, capturing resilience in the face of trauma without flinching from reality.
Kristin Hannah writes emotional novels about family resilience and personal struggles, similar in spirit to Jeannette Walls’ memoirs.
Her novel “The Great Alone” tells the story of the Albright family, who decide to move to remote Alaska to build a new, independent life off the grid.
Set mostly in the 1970s, the book follows teenager Leni Albright as she navigates the harsh wilderness, her father’s unpredictable temper, and the tight-knit community around them.
Hannah explores themes of courage, survival, and love against stunningly described Alaskan landscapes and harsh realities. If you appreciated Walls’ honest portrayals of family hardships and the complexity of human bonds, Hannah’s stories offer a similar immersive experience.
If you enjoy Jeannette Walls’ heartfelt narratives about family struggles and deep-rooted histories, you’ll likely find Dorothea Benton Frank equally captivating.
Her book “Sullivan’s Island” follows Susan Hamilton Hayes as she returns to her childhood home in the Lowcountry of South Carolina after years of personal turmoil.
There, Susan faces unresolved family conflicts and complex secrets as she reconnects with her spirited sister, Maggie.
Frank beautifully weaves humor, southern charm, and emotional depth into the vivid backdrop of coastal life, taking readers on a journey about rediscovering family bonds and personal strength.
Readers who appreciate Jeannette Walls might also enjoy author Wally Lamb. Lamb’s novel “She’s Come Undone” portrays the emotional and turbulent life of Dolores Price. Dolores’ journey begins in her troubled childhood, marked by loss and trauma.
As she grows older, she faces struggles with her self-image and identity. Lamb crafts Dolores’ story with humor, sincerity, and remarkable emotional depth. He creates a character whose resilience and authenticity linger in your mind long after finishing the book.
Sue Monk Kidd is an American author who crafts thoughtful stories centered around strong female characters. Her novels often explore family relationships and complicated personal histories, themes readers of Jeannette Walls will appreciate.
In “The Secret Life of Bees,” Kidd introduces us to Lily Owens, a young girl haunted by her past and her mother’s death. After a troubling confrontation with her father, Lily escapes with her caregiver Rosaleen to a small town in South Carolina.
There, they meet the Boatwright sisters, a remarkable trio of women who keep bees, produce honey, and open their home to Lily and Rosaleen.
Against the backdrop of 1960s America and the civil rights movement, Lily unravels truths about her family and herself, discovering strength, hope, and unexpected connections.
Barbara Kingsolver crafts vivid and complex stories about family, resilience, and identity, themes readers familiar with Jeannette Walls’ “The Glass Castle” might relate to.
Her novel, “The Poisonwood Bible,” follows the Price family as they leave their comfortable American life behind to serve as missionaries in the Belgian Congo during the 1950s.
The narrative, told through distinct voices of the four Price daughters and their mother, reflects on culture shock, moral ambiguity, and personal transformation. The characters face political upheaval and internal struggles, making choices that ripple through generations.
Kingsolver explores how people adapt or break under extraordinary circumstances, highlighting human flaws and strengths with honesty and compassion.
Books by Julie Kibler often tackle deep family connections and reveal profound hidden histories, similar in style to Jeannette Walls’ narratives. Her novel “Calling Me Home” explores a powerful bond between two women from different generations on a meaningful road trip.
In this heartfelt story, octogenarian Isabelle asks her younger friend and hairdresser Dorrie to drive her cross-country to attend a funeral. During the journey, Isabelle slowly shares a decades-old forbidden romance, set against the backdrop of racial tensions in 1930s America.
Kibler skillfully weaves past and present, reminding readers how secrets from long ago resonate deeply in today’s relationships.
If you appreciate Jeannette Walls’ emotional depth in portraying complex family dynamics, Julie Kibler’s storytelling offers a fresh, captivating experience.
Books by Elizabeth Gilbert often resonate with readers who appreciate Jeannette Walls’ honest storytelling style. Gilbert writes vividly and genuinely about life’s emotional complexity and human connection.
Her memoir “Eat, Pray, Love” shares her journey following a painful divorce. She travels through Italy, India, and Indonesia in search of pleasure, spirituality, and balance.
Gilbert describes vibrant meals in Italy, meditates deeply in India, and seeks advice from a wise healer in Bali. Readers who value Walls’ real-life storytelling may find Gilbert’s insightful exploration personally relatable and inspiring.
Caroline Knapp was an American writer known for her deeply personal memoirs about struggle, addiction, and recovery. In her best-known book, “Drinking: A Love Story,” Knapp shares her complicated relationship with alcohol.
She recounts her early days of casual drinking that evolved into a silent dependence, hidden beneath a successful career and a controlled public image.
Her honest storytelling reveals the quiet desperation behind addiction, as well as the hopeful possibility of reclaiming one’s life.
If you enjoyed Jeannette Walls’ sincere and candid reflections on family and resilience in “The Glass Castle,” you might appreciate Knapp’s raw openness and perceptive insights into human vulnerability.
Readers who enjoyed Jeannette Walls’ honest storytelling and complex family relationships may appreciate Kim Edwards. Her novel, “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter,” begins in 1964 during a snowstorm. Dr. David Henry is forced to deliver his own twins.
When realizing his daughter Phoebe has Down syndrome, he makes a split-second decision that shapes his family’s entire future. He tells his wife one twin did not survive.
Phoebe grows up separately, raised by Caroline, the nurse who cannot follow David’s instructions to leave the infant in an institution. Secrets, regret, and the weight of choices ripple through decades.
Edwards builds a powerful narrative about family, love, and the consequences of decisions made in a single moment.