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Sep 24, 2020Cidherman rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Learn what it REALLY means to be a proud Hillbilly! Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2020 HILLBILLY ELEGY is JD Vance's attempt to make sense of his childhood and his people, who are the embodiment of what the rest of the United States disparagingly refers to as Hillbillies, Rednecks, White Trash, Trailer Trash, etc. JD's life story is fascinating and filled with considerable empathy and gratitude. His journey, and the struggle to overcome his childhood, is something readers will enjoy immensely. This book offers you a rare opportunity to feel like you understand what it is like walk in someone elses shoes and know them. You will sympathize for JD's struggles and celebrate his accomplishments. You will come to really like him, and certainly, admire him. JD does an excellent job of drawing the reader in and allowing us a deeper understanding of a culture that is deeply and historically rooted in the United States. Because Hillbillies don't trust outsiders (often with good reason), they tend, as a people, to be misunderstood, looked down on and often maligned by people from other regions of the country. Sadly, in some ways they have fallen to meet those expectations. But despite the struggles and disenfranchisement of his people, HILLBILLY ELEGY is a beautiful tribute to Vance's love for the grandmother who raised him, and the many members of his extended family, who had a hand in elevating him up, and out, of a cycle of desperate poverty and hopelessness. Very few people who grew up like him escaped their circumstances. JD's kin (Hillbillies) are part of a cultural group made up of white, blue collar, largely uneducated, fiercely loyal, geographically connected, extended families. They inhabit the area of the country that extends south from the Ohio Rust belt to the hollers of Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Collectively, this group has less hope, less opportunity and fewer prospects than any other culturally or racially defined group in America. JD, who graduated from YALE Law School, wants the hardships suffered by his kin folk to be understand by outsiders and policy makers. He readily admits there are no easy solutions to the rampant social problems , that are holding them back in the "land of opportunity". Even though some of the stereo types ring true, you will gain a solid understanding of the challenges faced by these remarkable people, and an admiration for their dedication to family, and their strength, in the face of adversity. Learn what it REALLY means to be a proud Hillbilly!