▁million ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁ ▁Plot ▁As ▁a ▁child , ▁Je ann ette ▁W alls ▁lives ▁a ▁nom adic ▁life ▁with ▁her ▁painter ▁mother ▁Rose , ▁her ▁intellig ent ▁but ▁ir respons ible ▁father ▁R ex , ▁older ▁sister ▁L ori , ▁and ▁younger ▁brother ▁Brian . ▁While ▁cook ing ▁un super vised , ▁Je ann ette ▁is ▁sever ely ▁burn ed . ▁At ▁the ▁hospital , ▁a ▁doctor ▁and ▁social ▁worker ▁question ▁her ▁home ▁life , ▁but ▁R ex ▁dist ract s ▁the ▁staff ▁and ▁esc apes ▁with ▁Je ann ette . ▁The ▁family ▁leaves ▁town , ▁and ▁Je ann ette ▁is ▁en ch anted ▁by ▁R ex ’ s ▁plans ▁for ▁the ▁family ’ s ▁dream ▁house , ▁a ▁glass ▁castle . ▁ ▁The ▁family ▁soon ▁includes ▁Je ann ette ’ s ▁infant ▁sister ▁Ma ure en , ▁and ▁remains ▁on ▁the ▁move ▁for ▁years , ▁eventually ▁re loc ating ▁to ▁a ▁dil ap id ated ▁house ▁in ▁Ut ah . ▁Je ann ette ▁nearly ▁d row ns ▁when ▁a ▁dr unk ▁R ex ▁ag gress ively ▁teach es ▁her ▁to ▁sw im . ▁He ▁assault s ▁the ▁lif egu ard , ▁forcing ▁the ▁family ▁– ▁now ▁purs ued ▁by ▁the ▁law ▁and ▁with ▁no ▁money ▁– ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁Wel ch , ▁West ▁Virginia , ▁where ▁the ▁children ▁meet ▁their ▁grand par ents ▁and ▁uncle ▁Stanley . ▁R ex ▁moves ▁his ▁family ▁into ▁a ▁ram sh ack le ▁house ▁in ▁the ▁w ilder ness , ▁living ▁without ▁running ▁water