I wonder how many will choose to pick up this novel because the author will be sworn in to office as Vice President of the United States this month. Is that why I picked it up? No. I picked it up because some other family members said we were starting a book club and this was the first book - so here I am, kicking off my 2025 blogging with a review of a memoir.
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance was published in 2016. He recounts his own upbrining and paints a picture of what it can look like to break generational habits to achieve something you may not have thought possible if you allowed those habits to persist.
If strong language is something that bothers you, it is possible this book may not be for you. If you are able to look past the cursing, then you may be fine. But know that there is quite a bit scattered throughout.
In the introduction, Vance says he is 31 at the time of writing this. Being 32 at the time of reading the novel, I find it interesting seeing how family relationships are perceived looking back from this particular stage of life. I have found that this topic - how we relate to other family members - has been a consistent topic of my early 30s. I think it's a natural topic as certain shifts in family relationships - parents trying to take care of grandparents, siblings getting married, siblings moving away, etc - are taking place and we're just trying to reorient ourselves as what we've been doing does not fit the new mold we have been given. Sometimes that comes from breaking generational habits. Choosing to not do things like we have always seen them done. Because we know what those habits will bring, and if we are not a fan of that outcome then something must change. But what helps you see and decide to change it?
The introduction really sets the tone for the rest of the memoir. You get an idea of what he is going to cover and where his headspace was when he sat down to write the novel. I did find it amusing reading: "I am not a senator, a governor, or a former cabinet secretary" (p.1). While at the time of writing and publication this sentence was true, it has since changed and it made me giggle. Wonder if an amendment will be made?
Vance paints such a clear picture of his life experience that helps build a connected between text and reader; you mix that with different stats and facts found through research, and you have an experience that appeals to the emotional and intellectual sides.
During the 2024 election season, I saw a few videos circulate about this novel. Talking about the portrayal of Appalachia and the people who live in this region, as well as Vance's discussion of government's potential role in the lower income areas. I think Vance articulates what he, at least at the time of publication, beleives based on his own experience while intertwining some research he had done for the novel.
I enjoyed reading this memoir. It shows a different side of an area of the country that I've heard stories of because of different family members who grew up in a different part of Kentucky.
If you pick this novel up in hopes to understand where Vance's politics are, I'm not sure a clear picture is painted of that. I think the biggest takeaway is look at the generational habits and assess whether or not they should be broken. Some may argue that that is a political thing, but I don't think so. I think it's a personal, family thing.
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