In Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass Castle, the ages of the Walls children vary throughout the narrative as the story unfolds over many years. At the beginning of the book, Jeannette, the author and narrator, recounts her experiences from the age of three when she was injured while cooking hot dogs. Her siblings, Brian and Lori, are slightly older, while younger sister Maureen is born later in their lives.
As the book progresses, we see the children navigate their unconventional upbringing in a dysfunctional family, experiencing poverty and neglect. By the time Jeannette is a teenager, she is around 16 years old, while Brian and Lori are in their late teens. Maureen is still quite young, around ten years old, when the family dynamics begin to shift.
Overall, the memoir paints a picture of the Walls children growing up from early childhood through adolescence, making their ages vary throughout different chapters of their lives. The ages are crucial in understanding their development and the challenges they face in their turbulent childhood.