"Hillbilly Elegy" by J.D. Vance Offers an Inspiring Insight into the Life of a Man Who Achieved the American Dream

An elegy is typically a reflective, nostalgic poem filled with lament and laced with melancholy.

While Hillbilly Elegy is intended to be an inside analysis of a culture in crisis for poor, white Americans who never find a track to upward mobility, it actually testifies that the American Dream is still available to anyone willing to work hard enough to attain it.

J.D. Vance's Memoir Shares Incredible Stories of Appalachian Life and a Troubled Childhood

Most of us can't imagine living a hopeless life of extreme poverty. Vance's grandparents married young and escaped Kentucky's Appalachia region in pursuit of a better life. They raised a family in Middletown, Ohio, and rose to middle-class status, but they never shook their hillbilly roots.

Vance's grandmother was a force to be reckoned with. She was fierce and scary, but she loved J.D. and invested more time in raising him that his own mother.

The anecdotal stories of his grandmother make her sound like a fictional character from a novel, but they are all true. Take, for instance, the time Vance's grandmother warned her husband that she would kill him if he came home drunk again. When he arrived home intoxicated and passed out on the couch, she dumped gasoline on his chest followed by a match, and he burst into flames (though the family quickly put it out before he was harmed).

Vance's mother hopped from one husband to another, all while battling abuse, alcoholism, and addiction stemming from her own traumatic childhood. While he never stopped loving his mom and hoping for her recovery, the chaos her decisions caused in his life made an indelible mark. The only way he was able to survive was by living with his grandmother most of the time.

Vance shares intimate details of his family's history, which make the reader marvel at his ultimate miraculous success.

J.D. Vance Graduates from Yale Law School

Hillbilly Elegy traces Vance's journey to the Marine Corps, his service in Irag, and his time at Ohio State University followed by his graduation from Yale Law School. In each new setting, Vance struggles to process fresh opportunities because they are such a stark contrast to the life he has known.

Along the way, influential teachers, friends, classmates, and his wife make a positive impact on his life. Considering his ultimate success, some say he wrestles with "survivor's guilt." He escapes his culture, which many don't, and it makes him feel uneasy about his new life.

J.D. Vance with his wife, Usha

Hillbilly Elegy Is a Call to Help the Disadvantaged

Vance acknowledges that there's no government program that can fix the ills of the poor. On one hand, he advocates for policies that will protect the less fortunate while making upward mobility available for everyone. On the other, he acknowledges that culture, not necessarily politics, is a major factor in determining an individual's achievement.

Vance issues a call to reject the idea of a permanent underclass while simultaneously avoiding a welfare state.

The Book Nerd Weighs in on Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

Hillbilly Elegy is a raw, eye-opening memoir that will spur you to count your blessings.

Vance has experienced childhood situations and trauma that we may not be able to fathom, but his courage and motivation to advance through adversity is remarkable.

Vance comes from a dirt-poor motley crew, yet he is still proudest that his grandparents were hillbillies.

To think that someone with Vance's background and chaotic and unstable life could rise to U.S. Senator and then Vice President is nothing short of miraculous. Though the ultimate aim of the book is to provide an inside look at poverty and create empathetic solutions for those who are permanently marred by family dysfunction, trauma, cultural segregation, and hopelessness, the book is really an encouragement that the American Dream is still attainable.

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance is insightful, easy to read, sometimes humorous, and gives us an intimate look into the life of this very impressive public figure who makes Ohio proud.

Click on the image to order Hillbilly Elegy from Amazon