Hillbilly Elegy

I don't read a lot of memoirs, but this has been a best seller for a while and it was recommended by more than one friend. And I have to say, I really enjoyed it. And I highly recommend it.

For those of you who haven't heard of this book, Hillbilly Elegy is the memoir of one J.D. Vance, who grew up poor in Southwest Ohio in a family of hillbillies from Kentucky and went on to attend Yale Law School. The book is his story of how he escaped an almost certain fate of addiction, teen pregnancy/marriage, and even crime, with the help of his Mamaw and Papaw and other adults in his extended family and community.

Vance is a very good writer, in equal parts eloquent, folksy, direct, and funny. Reading his story makes one see how different it is for folks in certain parts of the country from those in other parts, and how we have no idea of our differences. Growing up in a very small town in Maryland I saw a tiny bit of what Vance experienced but for me it was the exception, and where he grew up it was the rule. That he was able to achieve what he has achieved is a testament to his own strength and power of will, but also to the positive influence of his maternal grandparents.

I highly recommend this book.

Hillbilly Elegy

Some Kind of Fairy Tale

This novel is a really interesting take on the old "fairy snatching" legends of the British Isles. Tara shows up at her parents' door on Christmas Day - 20 years after she disappeared in the Outwoods without a trace, and looking very much as she had back in 1983. She proceeds to tell a very detailed story of how she rode off on a white horse with an intriguing stranger, and had to stay at the odd and wondrous place he took her for six months before she could "cross back over" to home.

I don't want to give the story away, but let's just say that Tara seems perfectly sane, she willingly submits to psychiatrists, medical tests, and anything else they ask but won't change her story. There's an interesting side story with a kooky old neighbor and her cat too.

The end is a bit of a stunner too. A really enjoyable read.

Some Kind of Fairy Tale