Hillbilly Elegy; A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Hillbilly Elegy: A Powerful Memoir of Struggle, Resilience, and the American Dream

From J.D. Vance—former Marine, Yale Law School graduate, U.S. Senator from Ohio, and the Republican Vice Presidential candidate for the 2024 election—comes a gripping personal account of growing up in a struggling Rust Belt town and a thought-provoking exploration of America’s white working class.

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“You will not read a more important book about America this year.” — The Economist
“A riveting book.” — The Wall Street Journal
“Essential reading.” — David Brooks, The New York Times

Hillbilly Elegy is both a deeply personal memoir and a sharp cultural analysis, offering a rare, insider’s perspective on a community in crisis. While the struggles of working-class Americans have been widely discussed, Vance brings them to life with raw honesty, sharing his own experiences of poverty, family dysfunction, and the complex forces that shape generational hardship.

The story begins with Vance’s grandparents, who left Kentucky’s Appalachia for Ohio in search of a better life. They hoped to escape poverty and build a future for their family, and for a time, they succeeded—raising children who found middle-class stability. But as Vance recounts, the legacy of abuse, addiction, and economic struggle followed them, making upward mobility far more complicated than it seemed.

Through his own journey—from a chaotic childhood to the U.S. Marine Corps and eventually Yale Law School—Vance reflects on the lasting impact of his upbringing and the obstacles facing those who, like him, are born into hardship. His story is one of resilience, self-discovery, and the realities of the American Dream—and it forces readers to grapple with the deeper social and economic challenges facing the country today.

At once heartfelt, humorous, and unflinchingly honest, Hillbilly Elegy is more than a memoir—it’s an urgent reflection on the disintegration of a culture and a powerful testament to the struggles and strengths of working-class America.