Cayuga Reads, a local initiative to get our community to focus its attention on one book, has selected for this year, Jeannette Walls' auto-biographical “The Glass Castle.”
For those who haven't read it, it is a tough book - not because it doesn't flow well, because it does. It's tough to see the struggle of Ms. Walls and her siblings with two parents who clearly have mental health issues.
The choice of the “Glass Castle,” which references Ms. Walls' father's unfulfilled dream of building one for his children, who are subjected to abject poverty largely because of the failure of both parents, may be more than appropriate for this community to read. The organizers want to pick books for their annual reading program that are not only accessible (now in paperback, it retails for $15), but have a relevance to the community.
Last year's pick was Malcolm Gladwell's “The Tipping Point,” likely in the top five of this decade's most influential books. The “Glass Castle,” a memoir, is a complete departure from the non-fiction narrative of last year that focused on how ideas become successful and the idea of connections - something that is important for any community to focus on. Instead, this year's selection brings into play two public policy areas that this community is struggling with, addressing the issue of homelessness and dealing with what is seen as a growing (perhaps because we better recognize the issue) mental health crisis that impacts all of Cayuga County.
While the 304-page book does cover a little of what the author does today, it mainly focuses on three periods of her life: being a pre-schooler in the Southwest, a teenager in the poor rural areas of the coal country of West Virginia and then her eventual - and too long in coming - escape to New York City from the downward spiral her parents had put she, her brother and two sisters in over a decade and a half. While reading the book, it was hard to figure out why, at some point along the way - from her being burned as a pre-schooler with scalding water, to her parents clear neglect and abuse - someone didn't step in and protect the four children (similar to the questions that clearly are still asked in the tragic death of 11-year-old Oswego County resident Erin Maxwell at the end of August.)
As Cayuga County struggles to fix its own mental health operations (that go far beyond bricks and mortar, but personnel and service delivery) and tries to find ways to address the growing crisis of those who are on the edge of homelessness or have been driven over the edge, the choice of “The Glass Castle” is worth a read. The organizers have picked a book that clearly identifies two massive issues and will give any reader a perspective on the challenges to address them.
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com
The choice of the “Glass Castle,” which references Ms. Walls' father's unfulfilled dream of building one for his children, who are subjected to abject poverty largely because of the failure of both parents, may be more than appropriate for this community to read. The organizers want to pick books for their annual reading program that are not only accessible (now in paperback, it retails for $15), but have a relevance to the community.
Last year's pick was Malcolm Gladwell's “The Tipping Point,” likely in the top five of this decade's most influential books. The “Glass Castle,” a memoir, is a complete departure from the non-fiction narrative of last year that focused on how ideas become successful and the idea of connections - something that is important for any community to focus on. Instead, this year's selection brings into play two public policy areas that this community is struggling with, addressing the issue of homelessness and dealing with what is seen as a growing (perhaps because we better recognize the issue) mental health crisis that impacts all of Cayuga County.
While the 304-page book does cover a little of what the author does today, it mainly focuses on three periods of her life: being a pre-schooler in the Southwest, a teenager in the poor rural areas of the coal country of West Virginia and then her eventual - and too long in coming - escape to New York City from the downward spiral her parents had put she, her brother and two sisters in over a decade and a half. While reading the book, it was hard to figure out why, at some point along the way - from her being burned as a pre-schooler with scalding water, to her parents clear neglect and abuse - someone didn't step in and protect the four children (similar to the questions that clearly are still asked in the tragic death of 11-year-old Oswego County resident Erin Maxwell at the end of August.)
As Cayuga County struggles to fix its own mental health operations (that go far beyond bricks and mortar, but personnel and service delivery) and tries to find ways to address the growing crisis of those who are on the edge of homelessness or have been driven over the edge, the choice of “The Glass Castle” is worth a read. The organizers have picked a book that clearly identifies two massive issues and will give any reader a perspective on the challenges to address them.
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com
