Hillbilly Elegy

In this week's episode, Aleta and I discuss the poignant and piercing memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, written by J.D. Vance.

In his novel, J.D. draws so many parallels in communities across America, compared to his own upbringing in a small Ohio town and the hills of Eastern Kentucky. He discusses his tumultuous childhood, his one constant throughout his upbringing (his spitfire grandmother who he always referred to as "Mammaw"), and how he ultimately made his way through the instabilities and trauma of his young life and achieved success as an adult.

The novel highlights themes of rural American life: the strong bond of family, intergenerational poverty, and the changing structure of community, family, and stability. His novel gives us a glimpse into what many of those around us are struggling with currently.

We talk about similarities to our small town life and the things that JD experienced/witnessed from his upbringing. As well as going off on a tangent...or two.

So settle in, get comfy, and check it out.

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#HillbillyElegy #jdvance