Appalachian Reckoning; A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy

Appalachian Reckoning is a bold and multifaceted response to Hillbilly Elegy, challenging its portrayal of Appalachia while offering a richer, more nuanced perspective on the region’s identity and future.

Winner of the Weatherford Award for nonfiction, this collection of essays, poetry, scholarship, and photography serves as both a critique of J.D. Vance’s bestselling memoir and a platform for Appalachian voices to share their own complex, lived experiences. By exploring the political and cultural impact of Hillbilly Elegy, contributors examine why the book resonated so deeply in a time of national upheaval, while also confronting the controversies surrounding its portrayal of the region.

More than just a rebuttal, Appalachian Reckoning reclaims the narrative, celebrating the region’s cultural richness, intellectual depth, and progressive potential. Through deeply personal and thought-provoking works, this book offers a powerful and diverse portrait of Appalachia—one that moves beyond stereotypes of decline and despair to highlight its resilience, complexity, and hope for the future.