Part of me feels bad that I got so much entertainment out of this slow motion train wreck, but enjoy it I did. And let's face it, the fact that the book got written at all was hint enough that there was a happy ending... or at least a more positive one. But the bulk of this book is Walls looking back at a genuinely disturbing childhood. Both her parents were monstrously selfish and absolutely neglectful - they could blabber on about being unconventional free spirits as much as they liked, but when their children were reduced to digging through rubbish bins for food they were solidly in Bad Parent territory, and felt no inclination to dig themselves out, or even use the resources they had to make sure their kids were taken care of. (If they even noticed the kids were starving in the first place, that is. I could never really tell.) It's breath-taking how awful they were, and the very clear understanding the kids had of their parents' monumental failings is just painfully written. I'm not sure how much forgiveness I could muster up in Walls' place, but if she doesn't always forgive or even understand there's a final reaching for acceptance there, I think, which is really all anyone can do under the circumstances - the final acknowledgement that they'd never change, that she can move on without them. Family may be family but there's no use being dragged down by them, not when they're so determined to be anchors. This is sad and horrifying and clear-sighted and hopeful, and really beautifully written, and it's no surprise that it's spent so long on the bestseller list.