THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER IS NOW A MAJOR-MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY RON HOWARD AND STARRING AMY ADAMS, GLENN CLOSE, AND GABRIEL BASSO“You will not read a more important book about America this year.“—The Economist “A riveting book.”—The Wall Street Journal“Essential reading.”—David Brooks, New York TimesHillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of … Journal
“Essential reading.”—David Brooks, New York Times
Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for more than forty years, has been reported with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J. D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck.
The Vance family story begins hopefully in postwar America. J. D.’s grandparents were “dirt poor and in love,” and moved north from Kentucky’s Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually one of their grandchildren would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of success in achieving generational upward mobility. But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that J.D.’s grandparents, aunt, uncle, sister, and, most of all, his mother struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, never fully escaping the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. With piercing honesty, Vance shows how he himself still carries around the demons of his chaotic family history.
A deeply moving memoir, with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country.
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The author’s biography was enlightening—introduced to a different side of life I’m not normally exposed to. How the other, other half lives.
Excellent read. The author shares his life story without making heroes out of himself or his family. Having grown up in Kentucky I really related to the frustration of abject poverty and the hopeless feeling people can have.
One of the best books I’ve read in years. Kudos to author, Vance. His story was true to life and an amazing recovery from an enormously tough start. Love that grandma!!!
Loved, loved this book. What an inspirational young man!
It was educational getting to know someone from a hillbilly culture, but it didn’t make me embrace them in any way. In fact, I’m sad to say I’m still a bit disgusted by their choices. Yet, love really is the saving grace here, as it so often is in other challenging situations.
For some reason, I thought I would be reading about a dead hillbilly! But he is alive and well. The author told his life story about growing up and overcoming obstacles that came from being raised poor. His description of the mindset of his family and neighbors is spot on. He made me understand how much influence your family has in how you “turn out” when you grow up.
This book took me to a place I didn’t even knew exist. As a woman of color, this book showed me that in America, things are complicated and we’re pitted against each when we should be working together to throw off common enemies to basic humanity. An excellent, insightful book that I have referenced often since reading.
A very good book, well written, and vastly informative. If you think you know all there is about other types of people, this book will give you an education and, hopefully, some empathy and understanding of the human condition. How the author achieved what he has in life is a puzzle to me.
Having grown up in West Virginia, the youngest of nine and the first one to go to college, I could really identify with this story!
I can relate even though I’m on the other end of the political spectrum. Same thing happened to my hometown. Many of the characters are similar to my friends and neighbors growing up. I too was a lucky one and got the hell out. I think the author will need to cope in the future with the trauma of his up bringing.
I sure did.
This book goes a long way in explaining why government is not the best vehicle for ending poverty in the United States and underscores the importance of family, however one cares to define it.
I had heard about this book for quite awhile, but didn’t read it until after seeing the author interviewed by Megyn Kelly. One of the closing comments she made was that she wondered if the author ‘was really ok’. She seemed to be feeling a bit sorry for him, and worrying if had survived his childhood, worked through it, or needed more help? After reading the book, my impression is that the author is very ok. He looked back at his family life through the eyes and maturity of an adult who had survived it, learned from it, and could recognize the damaging parts, along with the parts and people who had helped him survive. He seemed to have a clear view of how those who were damaging also had good parts; and those who helped him, had damages of their own. He was also able to talk about how he, as a child, saw incidents and people.
The author presented a theory that the behaviors he witnessed growing up, and those he sees back in his hometown now, come from an Appalachian background. He was writing about what he knew, and had witnessed. I’m thinking, though, that if he were to interview people across America who had grown up with similar issues of poverty and poor education, that he might find a common thread.
This was an interesting book to read, and is very thought provoking. It would make an excellent book -club read.
interesting and current
Good information and perspective on economic crisis in Appalachia and subsequent drug crisis (and more). Loved the spunky grandma. Appreciated what the Marines do for young adults. Still don’t quite understand the conservative politics.
Liked the book but it moves slowly
A realistic, first-hand view of life and culture of Appalachians. Well written.
Very interesting and informative. The book depicts real life in the rust belt and its victims.
The author explains how his grandparents
helped encourage him through education and hard love to succeed in his life. This happened
despite the constant upheaval of rotating men in his Mom’s life as well as her drug use.
fascinating insight
Good to see out from my relatively isolated life how some others live. Well written.
This is a fine treatise on the sociological , cultural and family dynamics of our time. It is reminiscent of “The Warmth of Other Suns” about a similar migration of a sub-culture of our county. In this case, the “hillbilly” population has often been misunderstood and much maligned. This memoir is brutally honest, showing all the nasty dynamics and all the very best of the fine moral codes of these people.
I loved this book, and feel it should be required reading for anyone who seeks to understand their very own neighborhood! Maybe their family! Do yourself a favor and read it!