If you loved
The Glass Castle
Destin Daniel Cretton · Film · 2017
If you loved The Glass Castle, you are drawn to stories where resilient children navigate the chaotic fallout of unpredictable, deeply flawed parents.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
Educated: A Memoir
Tara Westover · Book · 2018
Explores: Family dysfunction, Self-discovery, Overcoming adversity.
Like the author of The Glass Castle, Westover recounts a childhood defined by isolation and unconventional upbringing, exploring how education eventually provides a path away from deep-seated family dysfunction.
The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams · Book · 1999
Shares 2 threads with The Glass Castle: dysfunctional family, Family Drama.
You will recognize the delicate balance between memory and reality found in The Glass Castle within this play, which masterfully depicts the suffocating nature of a mother's intense, idealistic obsessions.
Fun Home
Alison Bechdel · Book · 2007
Shares a thread with The Glass Castle: Dysfunctional Family.
This graphic memoir mirrors the complex, often painful father-daughter dynamic of The Glass Castle, using a reflective lens to dissect the long-lasting impact of growing up with intense family secrets.
The Great Alone
Kristin Hannah · Book · 2019
Shares a thread with The Glass Castle: Resilience.
Much like the nomadic and volatile life depicted in The Glass Castle, this story captures the struggle of children forced to survive the erratic, dangerous whims of an impulsive father.
Series on the same thread
Shameless
Paul Abbott · Series · 2011
Shares 3 threads with The Glass Castle: Dysfunctional Family, Poverty, Resilience.
If the survivalist spirit of The Glass Castle resonated with you, this show captures that same dark, gritty reality of children left to fend for themselves against an unreliable, alcoholic parent.
The Haunting of Hill House
Mike Flanagan · Series · 2018
Shares 2 threads with The Glass Castle: Dysfunctional Family, Family Drama.
This series echoes the lingering childhood trauma central to The Glass Castle, focusing on how a fractured family is haunted by the emotional wreckage of their early life and home environment.
Maid
Molly Smith Metzler · Series · 2021
Shares a thread with The Glass Castle: Resilience.
Just as in The Glass Castle, this story highlights the immense resilience required to break the cycle of poverty and abuse while fighting to secure a stable future for one's self.
Anne with an E
Moira Walley-Beckett · Series · 2017
Shares 2 threads with The Glass Castle: Resilience, Coming-of-Age Story.
You will find a similar spirit of endurance here as in The Glass Castle, following a young outsider who overcomes an abusive start to life by seeking her own place in the world.
Podcasts on the same thread
This American Life
This American Life · Podcast · 2026
Explores: The human condition, Personal narrative, Social observation.
These personal narratives capture the same raw, human-interest storytelling found in The Glass Castle, offering intimate glimpses into the complex lives and survival stories of people navigating difficult circumstances.
Crime Junkie
Audiochuck · Podcast · 2026
Explores: justice seeking, obsession, societal impact.
If the investigative nature of uncovering family truths in The Glass Castle gripped you, this podcast provides that same sense of obsession as it unravels mysterious stories layer by layer.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Glass Castle based on a true story?
The Glass Castle is adapted from the 2006 memoir of the same name. The narrative depicts the childhood of a young girl raised in a dysfunctional family that is constantly on the run from the FBI while living in poverty under the care of her parents.
Should I read the book or watch The Glass Castle movie first?
You can choose either format to experience the story. The 2017 film adaptation directed by Destin Daniel Cretton covers the same events as the 2006 book, detailing the lives of the four siblings as they navigate their upbringing with an ingenious but drunkard father and a nonconformist mother.
What is the plot of The Glass Castle?
The Glass Castle follows a young girl and her three siblings growing up in a dysfunctional, impoverished family. Their father uses magical stories to distract them from their dire circumstances, while their mother refuses to embrace traditional parental roles, leaving the children to come of age on their own.
Who directed the 2017 adaptation of The Glass Castle?
The 2017 film adaptation of The Glass Castle was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The movie portrays the struggles of the siblings as they deal with their parents' lifestyle, including their father's alcoholism and their mother's lack of interest in raising a family while living in poverty.