Hillbilly Elegy - J. D. Vance

Hillbilly Elegy

By J. D. Vance

  • Release Date: 2018-05-01
  • Genre: Sociology
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 2,466 Ratings

Description

Hillbilly Elegy recounts J.D. Vance's powerful origin story...

From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate now serving as a U.S. Senator from Ohio and the Republican Vice Presidential candidate for the 2024 election, an incisive 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.

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"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

Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for more than forty years, has been reported 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 one of their grandchildren would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of success in achieving generational upward mobility. But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that J.D.'s grandparents, aunt, uncle, and, most of all, his mother struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, never fully escaping the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. With piercing honesty, Vance shows how he himself still carries around the demons of his 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.

Reviews

  • Amazing and captivating

    5
    By Fertility Lady
    Loved it! Raw and truthful.
  • Hillbilly Elegy

    5
    By Rosimom
    Strong Language, which I would usually toss out, but I stuck with it. It’s really a good book and absolutely amazing how well J.D. has done ! Carol, in Utah
  • So glad I read this

    5
    By A Love Story
    I’m from Kentucky, born & raised there. I love that place like nobody’s business. My husband is also a born & raised Kentuckian. I am from the largest city, while he is from one of the smallest towns. They don’t even have a stoplight! We’ve learned a lot from each other and our families. We both went to college in KY, but in roll reversals. He went to the largest college & I went to one of the smallest. Our ancestors came in from the east & from the south to settle in the western art of the state, so were pure KY with roots all over this beautiful Commonwealth. Thank you for your love for our beautiful Appalachian mountains & the people who live there. Our people are survivors! My husband always refers to my dad as the toughest man he ever knew. Life wasn’t always the calmest at my childhood home, but I knew that if anybody ever messed with me, my parents had my back. You are a good man, JD Vance. Never forget that your real Father has your back too, so don’t go wandering off without Him! May He continue to bless you.
  • Skepital Reader

    5
    By Chasemax1
    I went into this in 2024 since J.D. Vance is now running aside Trump as his VP. I thought it might be a good way to get to know the real J.D. and what his politics were. After completing it, I think it do? I am a lifetime Republicanas were my parents and realtives. But with the way thingsare today I am truly scared to see where this world headed. My wish and prayer is for us all to just get along.I don’t have to agree with your thoughts or sentiments on things, but it not my rightto judge you or treat you inhumaley because of them. The sooner we all cometogether and realize this, the better this world willbe and then we can on with living a full, safe and happy life.
  • Loved it!

    5
    By upside downz
    Honest and truthful! Sheer strength JD! Great book and encouraging to read.
  • Good background on JD

    4
    By dffyuytrc
    A little too detailed for me. I would prefer to know more about his recent life vs. older stories about the family struggles.
  • Great book, both happy and sad.

    5
    By Graystrokes
    I hope JD has the opportunity to help bring about some of the changes we need to help the USA.
  • Must read it’s sad but true-I know I’ve lived so much of this story.

    5
    By Smurftasticdeem
    As an Eastern Ky girl this shines a light into the darkness of the poverty and hardships in the area. But it also showcases the unwavering love for God Country and family that is the Hillbilly, Irish, Scottish, and Appalachian/Eastern Ky way. Thank you for this Mr. Vance. To Mr. Andy Beasher you ain’t from here. We are not the private schooled, third or fourth generation politicians that you grew up with. Our state has its dark corners and Eastern Ky has all but been forgotten for a long time now.
  • Excellent Read

    5
    By no opinions
    I couldn’t put it down. Having been through a difficult childhood myself I found it easy to empathize. I cheered, I cried, I got mad and I am so proud of this man I have never even met!
  • Hillbilly Reality

    5
    By Songsport
    This book is more than an elegy. It’s a heartfelt picture of a life few people have experienced. After reading it, I feel as if I personally know JD Vance. He’s a man of great ethical courage and honesty. He’s a man who discovered his view of Donald Trump was flawed, and was not afraid to admit he was wrong. Such a man will be, I hope, the next Vice-President of the United States of America.