Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Personal stories are so critical when you've had no life experiences to help you understand another culture. The Appalachian culture that J.D. Vance describes is totally foreign to me, a New Englander born and married within the professional class of academics and scientists. I've driven through all the Appalachian states and even got lost once with weird Google directions that took us into the woods where we encountered a few hillbilly shacks with "No Trespassing" signs. That's the extent of my experience. That's why I appreciated this book. It's not just a memoir, it's also Vance's attempt to understand his own family, friends, and culture. He wants to understand his own life struggles and what allowed him to beat huge odds to stay away from drugs, get an education, a law degree, a well-paying job, a nice home, and least expected of all, a patient and loving wife to share all of it with. He mourns the self-defeating, but deeply entrenched worldview of his people, but he also knows their strengths, and sees hope in the channeling of those strengths toward a better life. He shares both his love and his shame and in doing so, chips away at the hardened perceptions of readers like me.


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