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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As someone who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, it explains so much. Pulls together bits and pieces of history and social change that occurred post-WWII. Not an easy read, but definitely a worthwhile read.
Insightful , deeply personal view into an overlooked section of American society.
Well written, interesting slice of life memoir. Captivating read!
I liked this book because it is such a tragic story of real life. I am happy that the main character’s life turned out OK. He had good people around him. I love nonfiction.
Enlightening, insightful well written
A very biased presentation about Hillbillys. Not a good book.
Struggled with this book
Very dark
An enlightening book regarding the inadequate educational and employment opportunities for some parts of the country.
Found some similarities with our upbringing – good to know we weren’t the only ones.
Interesting. Explains a lot about our social situation.
helps explain somewhat the mystery of the election of the cucrrent administration
I hated the way author criticizes social programs for the poor!
This was an amazing book — highly recommend that everyone read it!
Excellent read – do yourself a favor and read this book. Unique and informative with moact.
This book makes you realize that with the right motivation, a lot of hard work and a little help, anyone can forge their own path to success despite their original circumstances. Yet, one never fully uproots from the realities of those beginnings. Sometimes the trauma, the fears, and the ugliness of our backstory cling like velcro, regardless of how far we travel in life.
I appreciate how much a theme personal responsibility is in this true account.
Good read, Worth your time.
Too much indepth info
This book is real eye opener; a proud people who receive no help from anyone, but somehow survive with dignity and do what they must to survive.
While Mr. Vance and I grew up at different ends of Appalachia (my family is from southeastern Kentucky) there is a feeling of family and familiarity in his recounting of what it was like to grow up in a part of the country that most people will never see, feel or experience. He speaks to a culture that has been discounted and underrepresented for centuries.