Hillbilly Elegy
The Internationally Bestselling Memoir from Trump’s Vice-President of the United States
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4.2 • 6 Ratings
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- 65,00 kr
Publisher Description
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER / OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD
THE AMERICAN VICE PRESIDENT'S ORIGIN STORY
‘Essential reading for this moment in history’ New York Times
'You will not read a more important book about America this year' Economist
‘Brilliant … offers an acute insight into the reasons voters have put their trust in Trump’ Observer
J. D. Vance grew up in the hills of Kentucky. His family and friends were the people most of the world calls rednecks, hillbillies or white trash.
In this deeply moving memoir, Vance tells the story of his family’s demons and of America’s problem with generational neglect. How his mother struggled against, but never fully escaped, the legacies of abuse, alcoholism, poverty and trauma. How his grandparents, ‘dirt poor and in love’, gave everything for their children to chase the American dream. How Vance beat the odds to graduate from Yale Law School. And how America came to abandon and then condescend to its white working classes, until they reached breaking point.
‘A beautiful memoir but it is equally a work of cultural criticism about white working-class America … Vance offers a compelling explanation for why it’s so hard for someone who grew up the way he did to make it … a riveting book’ Wall Street Journal
** Now a major-motion picture directed by Ron Howard and starring Amy Adams, Glenn Close, and Gabriel Basso **
Reviews
‘Brilliant … offers an acute insight into the reasons voters have put their trust in Trump’ Observer
‘Powerful and highly readable account of the light of the poor white Americans in Kentucky’ Financial Times
‘Essential reading for all yankophiles, politicians and anyone interested in how Donald Trump won over the rust belt to arrive at the White House’ Books of the Year, Sunday Times
‘The memoir gripping America … Vividly articulates the despair and disillusionment of blue-collar America’ Sunday Times
‘A tough-edged elegy for ‘white trash’ hillbilly America’ David Aaronovitch, The Times
‘America’s political system and the white working class have lost faith in each other. ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ offers a starkly honest look at what that shattering of faith feels like for a family who lived through it. You will not read a more important book about America this year’ Economist
‘Vance’s description of the culture he grew up in is essential reading for this moment in history’ David Brooks, New York Times
‘Clear-eyed and nuanced, a powerful antidote to the clamour of news’ The Times
‘With exquisite timing Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ offers something profound at this time of political populism … a great insight into Trump and Brexit’ Ian Birrell, Independent
‘I bought this to try to better understand Trump’s appeal to those white working-class people who feel left behind, but the memoir is so much more than that … It’s an important social history/commentary but also a gripping, unputdownable page-turner’ India Knight, Evening Standard
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this compelling hybrid of memoir and sociological analysis, Vance digs deep into his upbringing in the hills of Jackson, Ky., and the suburban enclave of Middletown, Ohio. He chronicles with affection and raw candor the foibles, shortcomings, and virtues of his family and their own attempts to live their lives as working-class people in a middle-class world. Readers get to know his tough-as-nails grandmother, Mawmaw, who almost killed a man when she was 12 in Jackson, but who has to live among the sewing circles of Middletown. Her love for children, and for her grandson in particular, fuels her dream to become a children's attorney. When Vance finishes high school, he's not ready to head off to Ohio State, so Vance joins the Marines, completes a tour of duty in Iraq, and returns home with a surer sense of what he wants out of life and how to get it. He eventually enrolls in Yale Law School and becomes a successful lawyer, doggedly reflecting on the keys to his own success family and community and the ways they might help him understand the issues at stake in social policies today. Vance observes that hillbillies like himself are helped not by government policy but by community that empowers them and extended family who encourages them to take control of their own destinies. Vance's dynamic memoir takes a serious look at class.
Customer Reviews
**Book Review: *Hillbilly Elegy* by J.D. Vance**
*Hillbilly Elegy* is a deeply compelling and intimate memoir by J.D. Vance that charts his extraordinary journey from the impoverished Appalachian rust belt to the hallowed halls of Yale Law School. The book offers a poignant look into the life of a boy who, despite the odds stacked against him, managed to rise from a fractured family environment to a promising career in law, alongside a fulfilling personal life marked by a supportive partner and cherished pets.
Vance’s narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a dysfunctional upbringing in the Appalachian regions of Kentucky and Ohio. His early life was marked by the instability of a drug-addicted mother and the absence of his biological father. Yet, the memoir shines a light on the profound impact of his grandparents, particularly his grandmother, "Mamaw," whose unwavering love and guidance were instrumental in shaping his future. Mamaw's three guiding principles for Vance—excel academically, secure employment, and assist family—served as a beacon of stability amid chaos.
One of the most thought-provoking aspects of Vance’s memoir is his observation of the stark contrasts between his own Appalachian experience and the more stable environments found in other regions. Vance notes the success of families in Utah, where strong marriages, stable family structures, and regular church attendance are prevalent. He attributes the higher success rates in these families to these core elements, suggesting that the stability and cohesion found in these households contribute significantly to their overall success and well-being. This observation highlights a critical contrast with the often fractured and tumultuous family lives common in the rust belt regions of Kentucky and Ohio.
The memoir is not just a recounting of personal triumph but also a broader exploration of the socioeconomic struggles faced by many in similar communities. Vance’s extended family, including his sister, uncles, and aunts, played crucial roles during his turbulent adolescence, offering support when his mother’s cycles of addiction and failed relationships created a volatile home environment.
A personal touch in Vance’s story that resonated with me was his emotional response to the film *Saving Private Ryan*. Like Vance, I found myself deeply moved by the film’s portrayal of sacrifice and valor, reflecting the shared human experiences that bind us all.
In concluding his memoir, Vance reflects on the myriad factors that contributed to his success, emphasizing the pivotal role played by his family and the crucial support he received at critical junctures in his life. His story underscores the profound impact of familial love and stability in overcoming adversity.
*Hillbilly Elegy* resonates on a personal level, inviting readers to contemplate their own lives and the forces that have shaped their destinies. For me, it’s a reminder of the guiding hand of providence and the intricate web of relationships that steer us through life’s challenges. J.D. Vance’s memoir not only narrates his remarkable ascent but also provides a window into the complexities of the American working class, making it a significant read for anyone interested in understanding the intersection of personal perseverance and broader societal issues.