Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
J.D. tells the story of how he went from rural Kentucky to Middletown, Ohio to Yale Law School. He's beautifully vulnerable about his experiences and open about all aspects of hillbilly culture. There's the fierce loyalty his family members have for each other, as well as extreme poverty and addiction. He explains that there are hard-working folk living alongside lazy complainers and addicts. J.D. shows that there are different types of white people living in this country, and they shouldn't all be painted with the same brush.
This point is clearly made when J.D. reaches Yale Law School, and is playing a game on a totally different level; one where he has absolutely no experience. By appearance, he belongs there. But by upbringing, he's lost.
I remember my friend telling me how hard it is for poor white men to advance in society. J.D. reflected on how easily he could have been a cautionary tale, if things had just gone a little differently. Instead, he married a beautiful woman from his law school, built a successful career, and was loved through his growth out of his explosive hillbilly tendencies.
General consensus: A rare raw look at life as a hillbilly, this one with a very happy ending. Highly thought-provoking.
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