THE#1NEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLERISNOWAMAJOR-MOTIONPICTUREDIRECTEDBYRONHOWARDANDSTARRINGAMYADAMS,GLENNCLOSE,ANDGABRIELBASSOYouwillnotreadamoreimportantbookaboutAmericathisyear.--TheEconomistArivetingbook.--TheWallStreetJournalEssentialreading.--DavidBrooks,NewYorkTimesHillbillyElegyisapassionateandpersonalanalysisofacultureincrisis--thatofwhiteworking-classAmericans.Thedisintegrationofthisgroup,aprocessthathasbeenslowlyoccurringnowformorethanfortyyears,hasbeenreportedwithgrowingfrequencyandalarm,buthasneverbeforebeenwrittenaboutassearinglyfromtheinside.J.D.Vancetellsthetruestoryofwhatasocial,regional,andclassdeclinefeelslikewhenyouwerebornwithithungaroundyourneck.TheVancefamilystorybeginshopefullyinpostwarAmerica.J.D.’sgrandparentswere“dirtpoorandinlove,“andmovednorthfromKentucky’sAppalachiaregiontoOhiointhehopesofescapingthedreadfulpovertyaroundthem.Theyraisedamiddle-classfamily,andeventuallyoneoftheirgrandchildrenwouldgraduatefromYaleLawSchool,aconventionalmarkerofsuccessinachievinggenerationalupwardmobility.ButasthefamilysagaofHillbillyElegyplaysout,welearnthatJ.D.’sgrandparents,aunt,uncle,sister,and,mostofall,hismotherstruggledprofoundlywiththedemandsoftheirnewmiddle-classlife,neverfullyescapingthelegacyofabuse,alcoholism,poverty,andtraumasocharacteristicoftheirpartofAmerica.Withpiercinghonesty,Vanceshowshowhehimselfstillcarriesaroundthedemonsofhischaoticfamilyhistory.Adeeplymovingmemoir,withitsshareofhumorandvividlycolorfulfigures,HillbillyElegyisthestoryofhowupwardmobilityreallyfeels.AnditisanurgentandtroublingmeditationonthelossoftheAmericandreamforalargesegmentofthiscountry.
