Journal Entry I-A Women On The Street Jennet was sitting in a taxi, when she saw her homeless mother cover in rags, searching through the garbage. Jennet was felt ashamed of her mother and ended up going back to her home on Park Avenue. Jennet feels guilty that she is the reason her parent’s are homeless and she is being spoiled with all these luxuries however, her mother and father reject all of Jennet’s offers. The only way she can get a hold of her mother is if she called up a friend of hers. The next day Jeannine and her mother met up at a local restaurant for lunch.
Jennet informed her other that she is worried about her. In all seriousness, her mother asks for an electrolysis treatment and that she should also accept her parent’s as they are because that is who they were and they were never going to change. This part of the book introduces Jennet as an adult and her mother who is homeless. I don’t blame Jennet for feeling ashamed, she is living on Park Avenue yet her parent’s are living on the street. Her mother’s comments toward Jennet prove that she is very happy the way she is and doesn’t want to change. Journal Entry 2-The Desert (Arizona Trailer Park)
Jennet begins to talk about her unique childhood at the age of three. Her family lived in a trailer park in southern Arizona. At that moment, she was wearing a pink dress her grandmother bought for her while cooking hot dogs. Jennet offered a hot god to her dog, she turned towards the stove only to find that her dress was on fire. Her father took the car, therefore they ran to their neighbors and rushed her to the hospital. The nurses and doctors covered her in ice and told her she was lucky to be alive. She stayed in the hospital for six weeks, which ended short because her father didn’t believe in hospitals.
Her family visited her everyday, one day Brian Neatness’s brother) showed up with a bandage wrapped around his head. Her mother said Brain fell off the back of the couch, and insisted that he wasn’t that hurt. People One day her father told her that it was time to check out Rexes style. He ran out of the hospital with Jeannine in his arms. After this incident, Jennet started to obsess over fire. A few months later her father woke everyone up and told them that it was time to pack whatever you can up and get out of the sit-hole.
Her family were always doing the skedaddle, usually in the middle of the night. Jennet didn’t mind, she liked the adventure, she liked how she can sleep under the stars some nights. Her family moved around like nomads and lived in old neighborhoods in Nevada, California and Arizona. Her father would get a Job, usually a mining Job so they can afford necessities. This part of the book introduces the whole family in more detail. The fact that Jennet is able to boil hotdogs at the age of three shows that there is a lack of supervision. Journal Entry-The Desert (Lass Vegas) sister) and Jennet.
Jennet wanted to know what would happen if they didn’t eve around as much, Lori says that they would get caught. Their parent’s have been inside the bar for hours and finally came out with some food for their kids. They got back on the road, during the road Jennet fell out of the car; yet her parent’s didn’t notice. She was sitting on the railroad waiting for her parent’s. Finally she saw the car coming back, they said it took them so long because Brian was trying to tell them that she fell out. They lived in Lass Vegas for about a month usually every night their parent’s would go out to the bar and come back with food.
One night they left for the AR, and the kids were sleeping. Jennet suddenly woke up to the smell of smoke, and saw flames leaping at the open window. Jennet tried warning her brother and sister but nothing was coming out of her mouth. She felt her father pull her out of the room with her siblings. After the hotel burned down they lived on the beach for a couple of days, they would sleep in their car. One night a cop knocked on their window and told them that they couldn’t sleep there. They left and headed for the Mojave Desert in San Francisco.
The house they rented had been built by a mining company and had two rooms. Her father got a Job in the mine and her mother announced that she was pregnant. Since she couldn’t do much, she devoted much of her time to her art. The family moves around a lot in the part of the book, traveling through the desert. Again, several episodes of irresponsibility take place, starting with the fire in the hotel room. Her father’s alcohol problem is shown more in this part of the books and how its beginning to become dangerous. Jennet describes how her father makes poor decisions while he is intoxicated.
Journal Entry 4-The Desert The family didn’t celebrate Christmas. Her parent’s told her how Santa isn’t real. For Jennet’s Christmas present, her dad told her that she can pick out any star and she can have it. She chose Venus. This part shows how even though her father can be irresponsible sometimes, he can still make his children happy and play around with them. Part 10 of the Desert is when her parent’s have their first fight which was about the amount of months she is carrying her kids for. She says she carries them longer than anyone else, but her husband disagrees.
Jennet’s mother her mother leaves the car and her father drives after her. Their fights don’t usually last long therefore, the next day they were friendly again. Jennet’s mother finally gave birth to a girl named Lilly Ruth Maureen after the mother’s mom and the father’s mom but, everyone Just called her Maureen. Journal Entry 5-The Desert (Battle Mountain) Jennet’s father decided it was time to move after a cop tired to pull them over while driving. He then rented a U-Haul truck and piled everyone in the back along with their belongings. There was a bump, which caused the door of the U-Haul to open.
Their parent’s didn’t hear them because the engine was so loud. Soon enough someone came behind them and saw them in the back, the man pulled up next to dad and told him what has happened. They finally got to Battle Mountain, and rented a house that was once a train depot. The kids had to sleep in box because they had played with some chemicals which caused the shed to go on fire. Instead of their father yelling, he taught them about fire. This part of the book introduces lack of supervision. You would think since Jennet put herself on fire, they would make sure she stops playing with fire.
Since Rexes didn’t yell at his kids, they didn’t learn which meant that they did it repeatedly because they thought it was okay. In Battle Mountain there was a place called the Green Lantern which made the kids wonder hat everyone did in there. They saw men go in the house with women dressed in little clothes and they were curious. That winter, Jennet’s dad took the family swimming at The Hot Pot, which was in the desert. Jennet wanted to learn how to swim, so Rexes kept throwing her in the water until she learned how to swim.
Rexes later quit his Job because he wanted to start looking for gold, which meant they would be tight with money again. They went food shopping only a little, and one night there was only butter left in the house so the kids ate it all. This part of the book is when Rexes and his wife started fighting over money. This fight was so bad, all of a sudden Jennet’s mother was dangling from the window saying how Rexes was trying to kill her. Jennet’s mother finally got a Job at a school, which didn’t work out well because she was very lazy. Her paycheck started disappearing because her husband would take money for alcohol and gambling.
She began to hide the money, but he found out what she was doing and went with her the day of pay day and took the check. This part of the book is when you begin to see Rexes disloyalty to his family. Journal Entry 6-The Desert (Phoenix) A boy moved near them, his name was Billy Del. He was three years older than Jennet and was very ugly. He always tried making moves on Jennet, for example when they were playing hide and go seek and put his tongue in her mouth and when he gave her his mom’s ring. He started telling everyone that he raped Jennet and that they were together.
After he “ raped” her, she went to his house and returned the ring. He told her she was going to be sorry. The next day, he showed up with a B gun and started shooting everywhere, Brian took out his dad’s real gun and threatened him. Later that day, the police showed up. That night their family left for Phoenix. They were going to Grandma Smith’s home. Jeannine was so excited to go see her and take baths and eat delicious food, until she found out she died. She was very upset, she loved Grandma Smith. The doctors said she died from leukemia.
Her mother inherited some money and the house and they have had it for a while which makes Jennet wonder why they didn’t leave sooner. The house was in a poor neighborhood and was in bad condition but compared to what they lived in the past made them feel like they were living in a mansion. The school in Phoenix placed each of the Walls children in advance classes because of their reading skills. Lori was given glasses when it was discovered that her eyesight was poor, opening a whole new world to her. Rexes Joined the local electricians’ union which meant that they had money. Rexes bought the children their first bicycles.
There were also household appliances, like a washing machine and a telephone which was extremely new for the family. Their parent’s left the windows and doors open because there was no air conditioning, which meant the kids would wake up in the middle of the night with behind the rope and started petting a wild animal, he was very calm and sweet but the other parent’s didn’t agree. They were chased out of the zoo by security and were called several names. Their dad lost his Job as usual and money became an issue again. The kids started shoplifting and their teachers started to pay for their lunches.
That Christmas, everyone decided to have a wonderful Christmas this year. They went and picked out a tree and decorated it and went out and got everyone in their family Christmas presents. Rexes came home drunk that night and when he walked in things went downhill. His wife thought that he can calm him down by giving him his present, it was a lighter. He used the lighter to set the tree on fire. He sat on the couch and watched his family scurry around in panic. He Just laughed. That year Rexes couldn’t afford a present for Jennet so he asked what she wanted and she told her that she wanted him to stop drinking.
They all decided to leave before they got kicked out for not paying rent. They wanted to go to West Virginia, to Rexes parent’s house. At first Rexes didn’t want to go, as they were getting ready to leave his children were screaming at him to come because they needed him. He put out his cigarette and hopped in the car, and then they headed to West Virginia. Journal Entry 7-Welch (Grandparent’s home) It took Jennet’s family a month to cross the country to get to her father’s grandmother. Their grandma’s name is Arm. She doesn’t like her grandchildren called her grandma, makes her feel old.
Arm’s husband and Uncle Stanley lived there also. No one has been up in the second floor for years, so the kids slept downstairs. The house was cold and it smelt like mold and cigarettes and unwashed laundry. Later that night, Arm yelled at the kids because they were laughing. She said there will be no laughing in her house. A couple of days later, Jennet and Brian went to Wheel’s elementary school to enroll in classes. The principle put them in special classes because they couldn’t understand his language, so he thought they were dumb.
There were many colored kids in Welch that would stare at them and beat them up, and call them names. There was a girl named Dietitian Hewitt, she was the leader of the crew. A few days later after school, Jennet heard someone screaming a dog barking. A little boy was corned in by a dog. Jennet carried him home and Dietitian was across the street watching her. The next day she asked for help on her English assignment and thanked her for brining home her neighbor. Ever nice Jennet has been going to “ Engineering”, her grandma has been making fun of her and saying harsh words.
One day Jennet stood up for herself and got yelled at because she spoke her mind. That night she went to bed hungry. Mom and dad decided to drive the olds mobile back to Phoenix to get everything they left there. Sadly, their house was broken in and everything was gone. While they were gone many fighters occurred between Arm and the kids and when their parent’s came back they got yelled at and decided to leave and find their own home. Journal Entry 8-Welch Jennet’s parent’s finally bout a house of their own. The house was tiny and had only one room; with no indoor plumbing, no heat, and the wiring was bad.
When they However, there was no garbage service in the area so they filled the foundation up with the garbage. Jennet was embarrassed with the house so she used yellow paint her dad brought from from a Job, and began to paint the house. The rest of her family members didn’t approve but she went and did it all on her own. Soon enough the paint dried up and she couldn’t use it anymore so half of the house was a bright yellow. Jennet got invited to Genie See’s house one afternoon by one of her gathers. She went with the intention of learning everything she could about what it was like to be a prostitute.
However, Jennet became so distracted by the chicken carcass Genie Sue allowed her to help strip for a soup, that she forgot her questions. The three kids got into more fights in Welch than any other place they lived. Their peers looked down on them because their house was a wreck and they lacked primary resources and their clothing was worn out and old. Rexes alcohol problem increase drastically when living in Welch. He couldn’t keep a Job and he would often disappear for a couple of days. Rexes would often take some of the money that was coming in the house, even though they were tight when it came to money.
Winter was harsh that year and Jennet’s mother didn’t want to waste money on coal. Other families on their block got money from the government and weren’t in such a bad predicament like Jennet’s family was, but her parent’s said that they didn’t need help and that they were fine they way they were. Arm died that winter which affected Rexes pretty bad. Arm is the opposite of Grandma Smith, treating the children as a nuisance, instead of showing some of the affection that Grandma Smith often worded upon them. Arm also turns out to be prejudiced, and appears to have some sexual perversions.
Spring that year wasn’t the best either. It rained a lot and there was a huge hole in the ceiling in the kitchen. The family began to use the back window as a door because the porch fell apart. One night Jennet and Brian came across a very expensive ring and instead of selling it her mom kept it for herself because she said confidence it better than money. I do agree with that, but when you are in desperate need of money you should do whatever you can for your children; which Jennet’s mother did not do. It was extremely hot in Welch.
She went to the community pool one day and everyone made fun of her, so the next day she invited to go to the pool with Dietitian, in the morning, when you didn’t have to pay. One night, a social worker came by and asked for her parent’s, they weren’t home. Since this event, her mother had to get a Job which was a problem because most of the time she refused to get up and go to work. She wasn’t very organized, which made the principle mad. Jennet was now entering the seventh grade and she felt as if she needed braces. She found out that they were way too expensive, and made manmade braces for herself.
When Rexes came home one night, she saw what she did and was amazed and praised her because of the creation. That summer her mother had to go away for classes and she was in charge of the money. Jennet went with her dad too business meeting and ended up getting by a guy at the bar. Luckily, she got out of the situation all alone. Jennet decided to get a Job in a Jewelry store she wasn’t old enough so she lied. The owner of the store didn’t trust her so counted everything before and after he left. Lori decided to make a clay bust of Shakespeare so she can earn a scholarship.
She worked on it for weeks until her father came home and started being disrespectful toward her work. He smudged Shakespearean mouth which bothered Lori. One evening, Jennet found Oz on the floor broken and empty, she knew it was dad. Lori waited till he got home, but he never did. When he finally came in, she flipped out on him and all he did was take out a couple of crumbled dollars. Jennet tried raising money for Loris’s trip to New York City but didn’t raise enough. A women she has been babysitting for, named Mrs.. Sanders and told her that she was moving to Iowa and asked if she wanted to spend the summer with them there.
If she went and helped look after her toddlers, she said she would pay her two hundred dollars at the end of the summer and buy her a ticket back home. Jennet rejected it and asked her if Lori can take her place and buy her a ticket to New York City, Mrs.. Sanders agreed. When Lori left she refused to say anything to her dad. Her dad said that the family is falling apart and Jennet agreed. In tenth grade, Jeannine was made the editor of The Maroon Wave. She worked on it everyday, and instead of sitting in the bathroom for lunch she spent it working on the paper even though the paper only came out once a month.
When Jeannine was a Junior she was made the editor in chief when the Job was supposed to go to a senior. Chuck Yeager visited Welch that year, he was her father’s hero. He helped her with all the questions with the interview and answered each question with great detail. Journal Entry Nanette leaves for New York City) This section is when Jennet leaves for New York City. Her and Brian couldn’t sleep at all, he would count down the hours till she had to leave. Her dad didn’t come home that night, but when she climbed out of the window he was sitting on the steps.
He walked her to the bus stop, and he gave her his favorite Jackknife. I felt like this part was very emotional because even know he had his flaws, he was always there for her. He tried his best to be the greatest father ever. When Jennet got off the train, Loris’s friend, Even was waiting for her. She Joked around with him, yet he didn’t understand; she thought his reaction was natural. Lori works at a German restaurant. After her shift, they took a little tour around New York City. Jennet’s first Job was working at a hamburger Joint, she quit her Job and became a full-time reporter for The Phoenix.
Jennet still kept in touch and arranged Brian to come and live with them. Jennet’s boss told her that she can find a better Job only if she had a college degree. She applied to the sister college of Columbia University, Bernard and was accepted. She received grants and lends to cover most of the tuition. When Lori heard that Maureen had fallen off the porch and gashed her head she thought it was time for Maureen to come and live in New York City. I enjoyed this section because it showed how Jennet was growing up and moving to a big city and taking care of herself all on her own.
Shows how mature she really is. Journal Entry 11-New York City One morning three years after Jennet moved to New York, she was getting ready for class and listening to the radio. They said a van had broken down, spilling running back a forth and couldn’t be catch. That night she has a phone call, it was from mom, Rexes and his wife have moved to New York City. At first they move in to a boardinghouse, but they start to fall behind on rent. After that happened they slept in their Van, but then one day it was parked in a no parking zone and was towed. That was the day Jennet’s parent’s became homeless.
Jennet and Lori tried to help them, but they refused help. They said they were fine and being homeless was an adventure. A year later, Jennet thought she was going to have to drop out of school, but when her father found out he came back the next day with all the money she needed. Soon enough Jennet’s parent’s found a building where they took up the residence as squatters. Jennet soon learned that her parent’s were concerned about her living arrangements. It was the luxury that worried her parent’s. She though that her soon to be husband, John was going to spoil her since she now lived tit him on Park Avenue.
One day her mother came to her in a panic saying she need one million dollars to buy a property. She soon found out that her own property that she has had for a while, is worth one million dollars also. This upset her a lot because she could have sold the property and took care of her family, but instead she didn’t. Journal Entry 12-New York City Lori was working as a freelance artist mainly in fantasy illustrating and game board and book Jackets. Brian Joined the police forced at twenty which made his father feel disgusted because he raised his son to become part of the Gestapo.
Maureen graduated from high school and enrolled in a state college but she didn’t apply herself and ended up dropping out. She stayed with her parent’s, she had a Job here and there but it never last long. Soon enough she would Just be sitting in her parent’s apartment smoking, reading and painting nude portraits. Maureen bleached her hair and eyebrows. Maureen was the prettiest which was sad to find out that she ruined her hair. One day her mother confronted her and told her she needs to get herself together which caused Maureen to loose it and stab her mother.
She was arrested and bail was denied. She was sent to a hospital upstate and once she was released moved to California without saying goodbye. Maureen acted this way because back home she always had the neighbors taking care of her. Her no one watched after her and handed everything to her, she had to work for it. Maurer’s parent’s actions come into play here because many think that this outburst happened because of the way she was raised, which can be a possibility. After Maureen was sent away, Lori and Jennet hardly saw their parent’s. Brian moved to Long Island with his wife and daughter.
Jennet’s father told her that he acquired a tropical ease and that he only had a few weeks and months to live. Jennet doesn’t know what the world would be like without him, he loved her in a way no one else did which made him special. Two weeks later her father had a heart attack. In the months followed, Jennet always felt like being somewhere else rather than where she was. A year away her father died, she left Eric; he was a good man, but not the right one for her. The fact that her father died hurt her a lot emotionally. He promised many things he couldn’t keep but there was something about him that was story better in a way.
His personality, the way he looked at life, he was very positive and even though he had alcohol problems he was still a great father. Journal Entry 13-Thanksgiving A few years later, Jennet hosted Thanksgiving at her country farm house she shared with her new husband John. John and Jennet are very similar, John wrote books and magazine articles and has moved a lot while growing up. Jessica, John’s fifteen year old daughter came out to greet . Everyone along with Brian and his eight year old daughter, Veronica. Brian became a decorated sergeant detective, also he and his wife had split up around the time Eric and Jennet did.
Brian comforted himself by buying a house in Brooklyn. Dinner was a happy affair. Everyone toasted Rexes, and talked about the good and bad memories with. This section and the last section shows the reader how Jennet has changed maturely throughout the years and got every thing she wanted. Once her father died, she realized it wasn’t money and luxuries what she needed but love and affection, which is why John is a perfect match for her. Thoughts: My favorite character was Rexes, even though he wasn’t loyal all the time, he loved Jennet a different way then anyone else did.
I didn’t like how he went to alcohol to solve his problems, even though he had a rough childhood he should be there for his children. I didn’t like Jennet’s mother at all. She was selfish, she used all her money on art supplies. She though that she didn’t need help but it was obvious she did. I admire Jennet the most because she went through a lot and she was able to follow her dreams and marry rich; she didn’t let anyone stop her. Her siblings Lori and Brian were also very strong. Brian became successful and so did Lori. Its amazing how they ended up, when they were abused mentally when they were little.
