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

While I found this much more interesting than Nancy Isenberg's White Trash (because of the more personal aspect) I don't necessarily have the glowing reviews other readers have. The book hit all the emotions and I could picture Vance's family so clearly in my head.

But....something about Vance's tone rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like he was looking down on blue collar workers at times. As if, working with your hands, in a factory or on a farm, was not as “good” as being a lawyer and making lots of money.

He does give much credit to his grandparents for making it as far as he has and at one point remarks that while his grandparents were basically awful parents to their children they spent the rest of their lives making up for it as grandparents. Throughout the book he makes mention of times his grandfather would lament how he failed his daughter and what I found inspiring was that these two people made changes as adults, to better their family as best they could. Not many grown people can do that.

An insightful look into a world that we don't often get an honest look at.