Publication Info:
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of Family and Culture in Crisis was written by J.D. Vance and published on June 28, 2016, by Harper Publishing Company. It is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and has been described by Times as one of "6 books to help understand Trump's win."(https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/books/6-books-to-help-understand-trumps-win.html) This book is also currently being developed into a full-length motion picture directed by Ron Howard which is expected to be released late in 2020.
Brief Synopsis:
Throughout this book, J.D. Vance recounts his life and upbringing deep in the Appalachia region of northern Kentucky, and then later Ohio. He follows the story of his grandparents, mom, sister, aunts, and more who raised him in the midst of being poor and in a depriving community.
Vance, who would serve in the U.S. Marines, and is a Yale Law School graduate, gives a unique, and inside look into the struggles of living and being raised in a community that is filled with poverty, abuse, alcoholism, neglect, and much more. When Vance's grandparents move from Kentucky to Ohio in search of a "normal" middle-class life they quickly realize that adjusting to this new way of life would be more difficult than they thought. Along with trying to adjust, this move brings its own challenges that Vance goes into more detail about throughout the book.
Review:
I know that this synopsis was a bit shorter, but I don't want to go into too much detail for fear that I will spoil certain twists and turns for the reader. With that being said, I think this book is a great look into the struggles of growing up in this particular community. Vance does a great job of capturing the reader early on and helping them feel what he felt as he retells his story.
This book was a bit of a new adventure for me. I have only read a handful of memoirs and they are not always the best or most captivating read. Vance does an amazing job of transporting the reader to his childhood and adolescents and walking them through his life. The ups and downs, highs and lows. Vance is extremely transparent with his life and the things that have happened to him.
Overall, I think this book is a great look into not only the struggles and issues that come out with being raised in this community but also a great look into the decline of this demographic of people and the effect that it has on the country. Vance is honest and transparent in ways that I wish more people were.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to read it, but I do believe that this book is not for everybody. There are some themes and topics throughout this book that are difficult to read. Because of this, this book will turn some people off from reading it. If you think this book would interest you please give it a fighting chance.
Rating - 4/5
Next Review - Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
Currently Reading - The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Comments