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Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,
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Cheri
I think the most important thing Vance talks about is ACEs (Adverse Childhood Events). Healing trauma and bringing "normalcy" to the brains of children and adults affected by ACEs could have a huge impact, but instead our mental health system focuses on the symptoms / behaviors that result from trauma, not the root cause. I recommend The Body Keeps the Score as a place to start reading about the types of treatment that have been shown to successfully relieve the fight-or-flight pattern of those who have experience trauma.
Julie Maruskin
This is one person's view of growing up in Appalachia. I was raised in southeast KY. My family were miners and farmers. We were raised to despise the use of the term "hillbilly" along with other ethnic and cultural slurs. My parents grew up in the US Steel and American Harvester-owned towns Lynch and Benham in Harlan, KY; my mother's father began working in the mines as a spragger at the age of 8. His father, uncles, and cousins were murdered in mine strike raids because of their outspoken support of unionization. And no, my extended family did not function like Vance's, and yes, they educated themselves when and where ever possible. Some left Harlan and some stayed. Some are still miners. Most of us are still poor, but we are not scrabbling in the dirt like animals.
Garrison Mcdavid
Sir, I heard an interview between Charlie Rose and Mr. Vance night before last. Immediately, I became mesmerized by what they were saying. I had a Eureka moment, an ah ha. In the same vein, I participated in a book discussion of Jane Smiley's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, A Thousand Acres. I have found through travel from where I am so attached helps me assimilate the change. Change has occurred at enormous speed since the internet and Facebook have enabled corporate profits to increase through worker exploitation. Hillbillies are excellent workers. They take pride in doing a job well, bearing considerable stress for their family's good, and believe in heaven as an award for self-flagellation. Yes, it does get better by being true to one's own self. I wish we could all "speak what we feel, not what we ought" a line from King Lear of Shakespeare's time. As a SW Virginian by birth having passed through the excesses of 80s banking in Manhattan and East Hampton, travel in South and Central America, and found peace and career challenge in Spain, I suggest that we all get off our chests the worries we have through keeping a journal (The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron), visiting an unfamiliar part of the US or other country on a shoe string budget, and realizing change is constant. Keep the faith, but lose the past.
Charles Drengberg
If you only focus on the negatives, no. There is plenty of amazing progress being made in this country everyday. The future is much much brighter than the media wants you to believe, because they make their money on fear and drama.
Leslie
We have a long way to go. Recommend reading: White Trash: The 400-Year History of Class in America. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Annmarie
It was a hard read for me, too. I have two friends who read it first. It was similarly hard for one, who (like me) grew up in a somewhat similar area. It was much more abstract for the other. It rung very true for me. I kept thinking that I could have written a similar book about things I saw growing up.
It's great that you finished the book, despite that it troubled you. That's how we learn and grow.
Change comes slowly, but I do believe you'll see some. The problem is, we often repeat mistakes. As I said, change comes slowly.
It's great that you finished the book, despite that it troubled you. That's how we learn and grow.
Change comes slowly, but I do believe you'll see some. The problem is, we often repeat mistakes. As I said, change comes slowly.
Ruckasaurus Rex
Faith and hope. Faith, hope, love and strength together. <3
Susan Conklin
It gets OK one person at a time. Every baby born is born innocent and vulnerable, not until the baby feels safe and secure, has no stress over hunger and need of human love and contact is that baby able to observe and world outside its own inner stress and learn. Children who don't get this in the first 18 months of life are in trouble. It all starts at home. When we as as a society truly understand this and start seeing that every baby born and its parents get much needed help, we'll keep cycling out of control. J.D. Vance had his grandparents and some inner survival. We have $trillions to build bombs, fighter jets, etc. we need $billions to see that ever family gets support of knowledge, child development and a society that makes it a priority.
Justcynthia
Attitude was the only thing that saved him.
Kyle Nicholas
Lots of things saved him: love, grit, faith, self-assurance, trust. For some of us, however, it never gets better. While some escape the tragedy of poverty, most of us are doomed. Welcome to Life in America, 21st century.
Terry Holsinger
I am a notoriously slow reader (at 77 years of age) but read this book in four days. Fascinating! Good read... Happy you finished through your tears. I understand...
Jenn "JR"
As an individual - sure - and that has to do with how you find your happiness and fulfillment. As a culture - no. The flavor of capitalism we've committed to in this country requires a permanent underclass - check out "Poor White Trash" for a painfully well documented history. I don't expect that poverty in this country will ever be "fixed" because that would mean placing the blame for inequality on social, economic and cultural issues instead of blaming individuals for lacking "character" or drive.
Julia
J.D. sees hope. He and most of his family appear to be the positive influence in his community which he said would help others see a better way. He felt so strongly that he wrote a memoir about it despite being so young. This book was sent to me in Texas by relatives in Ohio. It's being read by people in the community and maybe some will realize there is a better life out there. Maybe others will have more sympathy towards the under-privileged. Maybe the under-privileged will reach for something more. Maybe someone will help pull them up.
Diane
I can totally relate to your comment. I am 63 years old and just finished the book 30 minutes ago. No nightmares, but lots of tears. I grew up not in Appalachia, but in the rust belt. I escaped. It is heartbreaking and haunting to go back.
MGM
It was a hard read for me as well. I've listened to the audiobook and have spent my car rides to and from work in tears. The best thing that I can say is that you can reflect on the areas of your life that are lacking and consciously find ways to make it better and to overcome it. It is not easy and I still make transgressions, but you can slowly escape the lifestyle and hope and pray that your behavior can then be reflected in your family members. Sometimes you have to let go of some family members and take the time to heal yourself before you can slowly let them back into your life. Sometimes friends will push you away and choose to continue the cycle. Just continue to reflect and pray and work for change.
Greg
Atheena, I don't understand how you found this book painful. I'd say, with a gift-limit of $300 per child at Christmas, Vance's family lived fairly well, and he even says so at the beginning of the book. I THOUGHT I grew up middle-class in NC. But my childhood limit for gift receiving was $100, and I thought that was a lot.
Deidre Yuknavich
I grew up in the north east so wasn't a hillbilly. However despite having two parents who were HS and some college educated , my family was dysfunctional. I identified with this book
Anirudh Sharma
Its rather sad if you found this book profound. Its anything but sadly.
Morgan Greenwood
It does, but you have to be brutally honest with yourself. It also takes a bit of luck. And the hardest lesson to learn is that sometimes no matter how hard you work or how skillfully...things just don't work in your favor. And you have to learn to be ok with that and try something else.
Linda L Anderson
Atheena, No one can answer that question, but it is clear to me that many people are trying to make changes to come closer to "OK". Misuse of government programs aimed at those that truly need the helps is an ongoing problem and probably will never be eliminated. Clearly, no-one in our country should go without medical coverage, food or a solid roof over their heads. Unfortunately so many have grown up in social environments where generations, able to work and make a living, have taken advantage of those very benefits, simply because thats the "norm" and it is "all they know", so it is ok. I don't recall the use of the word "entitlement" in the book, but the misunderstanding of the concept clearly describes the mindset of many. Praise to the Mr. Vance on his honesty and candid description of the very difficult environment he was able to break away from.
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