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