Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Vance, J. (2016). Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. New York, NY: HarperCollins

Interest Level: High school upperclassmen to adults of all ages

Audie Award for Nonfiction (2017), 

Dayton Literary Peace Prize Nominee for Nonfiction (2017), 

Ohioana Book Award for About Ohio or an Ohioan (2017), 

Kirkus Prize Nominee for Nonfiction (2016), 

Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Memoir & Autobiography (2016)

[For the reader of memoirs who likes a sprinkling of politics and hope.]

My family was once called “hillbillies.” I prefer rednecks, thank you very much. We don’t scream and fight…we hold in our emotions and get even through passive aggressive outlets. Our drinking is kept secret and first cousins are off limits! What we do have in common, though, is our devotion to our family and our love of Jesus.

J.D. Vance shares the chaotic and tumultuous journey of his family life growing up in a hillbilly community. His hillbilly roots are in Kentucky while his hillbilly rearing takes place in Ohio. He faced the same struggles that most of us do, but with the added hindrance of substance, physical, and mental abuse, a succession of step-daddies, and little to no guidance on college prep. What did work in his favor was the emphasis on reading that was instilled in him early on. His mom read him books. His Mamaw read him books, and in his youth, he became a reader himself. He researched and explored different ideas and grew a desire for the upward mobility that slowly catapulted him from the dregs of society to the top law school in the nation.

I chose to read this book because my mom had watched and loved the movie. I haven’t seen it yet, but I will watch it someday. I found the book inspiring and wondered what it is about upward mobility that the hillbilly communities shy away from. I think his goal with this book is to make us realize that anything is possible, but also makes you question whose fault it is when you are left behind in school…your own? Or the government’s? 4 stars on Goodreads.

Mrs. Everything

Weiner, J. (2019). Mrs. Everything. New York, NY: Atria Books.

Interest Level: Adult

[For a reader looking for a good coming of age book, or a book with a lot of sisterly love. Reminiscent of Little Women.]

I’m a middle child and the only girl. My brothers did most of the farm work with my dad (hauling hay, fixing fence), while I did the inside work with my mom, (cleaning house). I did help move irrigation pipe and my daily chores included feeding the calves, pigs, chickens, and horses, but I never once drove a tractor or hay swather. We kids were pretty close, closer now with the app Marco Polo, but I would say the relationship with my kid brother is closer. I think it’s because he is the one who was suckered into playing house and Barbies. My relationships with my brothers are unique. What does this have to do with my latest read? Not much…To be honest, it’s just that I really found nothing relatable in the book.

The reader is dragged along through the formative years of Jo and Beth, and into their golden years. We are introduced to them when they are little girls. Jo is a tomboy who is a constant disappointment to her mom, and Beth is an angel. We are with these sisters as they battle body issues, identity struggles, addiction, tragedy, rape, and growing up and growing old. They really do have a lot of misfortune in their lives with little to be thankful for. Some of it is just the hand they were dealt, but a lot of it is a result of the choices they made.

I could not identify with much in this book, but I’m sure many women will. While reading, I did have issues with some of the timeline. Being so ready to finish the book and move on, I didn’t spend much time trying to figure out if the author was letting some characters age slower than others. And I left the book in my childhood bedroom while visiting there this summer, so I can’t go back and check it now. But many who post on Goodreads agree with this and provide some examples of timeline issues. There were intense parts, so anyone who is a sensitive reader might reconsider. This was a “just ok” book and not one that I will recommend.