Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis image number 0

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, NAMED BY THE TIMES AS ONE OF "6 BOOKS TO HELP UNDERSTAND TRUMP'S WIN" AND SOON TO BE A MAJOR-MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY RON HOWARD

"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 Times

From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate, a powerful account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America's white working class

Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis--that of white working-class Americans. The decline of this group, a demographic of our country that has been slowly disintegrating over forty years, has been reported on 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 their grandchild (the author) would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of their success in achieving generational upward mobility.

But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that this is only the short, superficial version. Vance's grandparents, aunt, uncle, sister, and, most of all, his mother, struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, and were never able to fully escape the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. Vance piercingly shows how he himself still carries around the demons of their 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.

Item Information Item Information

Format: Hardcover
Author: Vance, J. D.
ISBN: 9780062300546
Condition: Used
Dimensions: 9.20 x 1.00
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Year: 2016

Customer Reviews

Rating Snapshot

5 ★ 50%

4 ★ 38%

3 ★ 13%

2 ★ 0%

1 ★ 0%

4.4

8 Ratings

1 Recommendations

Review Images

Great book

Would Recommend

Charlotte S. - 3 months ago

Great book and very funny. Book was in new condition and was shipped in a timely manner.

Tags: Funny, Page Turner
Memoir to remember

Gillian P. - 4 years 11 months ago

This popular memoir delves into the complex history of Appalachian culture and offers some insight into how their past is shaping their current and future struggles. Living in Southwestern Ohio, the local connection adds an element of interest. Who knew that Middletown was a settling ground for many striving for opportunities out of the hills of Kentucky?
HPB Staff Review
Honest and bittersweet story of triumph and family bonds

Kristie N. - 5 years 1 month ago

An excellent, honest and respectful biography. He dealt with shameful and difficult subjects so tastefully and thoughtfully that I truly believe the love for his family is true. It was also such a remarkable story about overcoming- and hard work!
Great story of an unknown part of America and our Society

Edward S. - 5 years 3 months ago

Great story of our America that many citizens will never know until now The story is repeated over and over in our society. Very good writing and a very stimulating read. Especially valid for some of the thinking around our newly elected administration...we think.
Hard to put down

Nancy S. - 5 years 9 months ago

This was not the book I searched for but came up as a suggestion. Glad I listened! JD Vance recounts the story of his life. It's a life full of upheaval and change, but thanks to the love and support of his Mamaw, JD finds his way. The book describes the many cultural landscapes JD must navigate on his path to adulthood. I'm not finished reading - but finishing it is my reward at the end of my work day.

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Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

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Customer Reviews

Rating Snapshot

Review Images

Great book

Memoir to remember

Honest and bittersweet story of triumph and family bonds

Great story of an unknown part of America and our Society

Hard to put down