Super Short Summary

J.D. Vance’s memoir, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, chronicles his challenging upbringing in a poor, working-class Appalachian culture and his journey from broken homes in Ohio to success in the Marine Corps, Ohio State University, and Yale Law School. Through vivid accounts of his family’s struggles with addiction and poverty, he examines the economic and cultural decline of white working-class Appalachians, emphasizing both systemic issues and personal responsibility. This book contains references to addiction, domestic violence, and substance abuse.