Hillbilly Elegy cover art

Hillbilly Elegy

A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

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Hillbilly Elegy

By: J. D. Vance
Narrated by: J. D. Vance
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About this listen

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER / OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD

THE AMERICAN VICE PRESIDENT'S ORIGIN STORY

‘Essential reading for this moment in history’ New York Times

'You will not read a more important book about America this year' Economist

‘Brilliant … offers an acute insight into the reasons voters have put their trust in Trump’ Observer

J. D. Vance grew up in the hills of Kentucky. His family and friends were the people most of the world calls rednecks, hillbillies or white trash.

In this deeply moving memoir, Vance tells the story of his family’s demons and of America’s problem with generational neglect. How his mother struggled against, but never fully escaped, the legacies of abuse, alcoholism, poverty and trauma. How his grandparents, ‘dirt poor and in love’, gave everything for their children to chase the American dream. How Vance beat the odds to graduate from Yale Law School. And how America came to abandon and then condescend to its white working classes, until they reached breaking point.

‘A beautiful memoir but it is equally a work of cultural criticism about white working-class America … Vance offers a compelling explanation for why it’s so hard for someone who grew up the way he did to make it … a riveting book’ Wall Street Journal

** Now a major-motion picture directed by Ron Howard and starring Amy Adams, Glenn Close, and Gabriel Basso **

©2016 J. D. Vance (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers
Americas Economic History Economics Politicians Politics & Activism Social Classes & Economic Disparity Sociology United States Memoir Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Funny

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All stars
Most relevant
I read the book after talking to a colleague about childhood trauma. I’m always amazed at the universality of the theme of forgiveness sets us free. A very clear, concise description of experience, strength and hope in a young man. I come from Glasgow and in some way I suppose I’m a Scots relative of this hillybilly boy - Just the other side of the water, but I understood every word and they resonated. I can’t help feeling the twelve step programs that he must have been exposed to as a child did in some way seep into his ongoing recovery from ACE. Thank you. Great listen. Somewhat similar to Angela’s Ashes only I feel with a much more contemplative and well educated hero who understands very well the demons of his culture. Well worth a read.

A story of survival and the power of acceptance

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People often look for something high stakes and far fetched to stir the soul, but this tale of everyday life of ordinary folk on the Appellations elicits emotions one struggles to describe.
One appears both awe struck and shocked at the nature of Hill Billy justice (the harsh retaliation for insulting a family member), despairing at the misery caused by drug addiction, touched by the personal tragedy encountered, and stirred to a sense of indignation at how family trauma dims outlooks.
Vance's personal story is a story best told by himself, it's a remarkable story, and any attempt to summarize it within a review is likely to detract from the story itself.
However, the person's story draws attention to the macro issues that are overlooked by identity politics.
Vance rhapsodizes Rustbelt America, an area in industrial decline which has birthed single parent families, revolving door stepfathers, drug addiction, depression, and psychological breakdown.
It's a harrowing portrait and a story that needs to be told.
Yes, white folk are on welfare and have it hard. Yes, success is the result of many variables aligning, and No, not everyone can succeed.
Among the insights Vance offers is the notion that Americans pin too much hope on College, and No, not everyone can make it to College, and how simply making ends meet in small town America can be tough.
Vance points out that far too much emotional energy is given toward blame in its various forms, from government to fat cat corporations and not enough emphasis is given to personal shortcomings.
An additional bonus is the feeling one gets as to why formerly Democrat dominated Appellation America came to despise the elite Liberals embodied by the Clintonistas and the like. It cannot be explained through simple insights and knowledge points, it's something the needs to be felt.
Overall, a harrowing tale, something one should read to both understand and feel Rustbelt America.
Overall, this is a memoir that is felt more than anything, and heartfelt it is. Truly unforgettable.

Thought provoking and harrowing

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A story told with pride and love and immaculate even handedness, but no judgement and as a reader we are caught up in all those elements.

From Mamo standing on her porch with a shotgun, to plates flying overhead it's a thrilling but unstable world.

The message of personal responsibility is only ever going to be bought by a few, who are probably already the lucky ones who feel it. If you want to help others in that grip of first world poverty, the message is subtler: that any element of stability you can add anywhere will probably help. I don't know how many people who need it will read this book and see themselves but I hope a great many do and are inspired by it.

Fascinating insight into another America

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I am really glad I listened to this book as it gave me an insight into a culture that I knew nothing about. I was very touched and moved by this book. One of the best books I listened to in 2016.

Great book

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I really enjoyed this and it has stayed with me a long time. Open. Honest and authentic exploration of a part of the world and a people I knew nothing about from inside.

Loved it

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