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

Less prescriptivist than most (to it's benefit), Hillbilly Elegy uses the saga of one Kentucky family to explain the societal pressures, pitfalls and opportunities (or lack thereof) faced by working-class whites. Surprisingly objective for a pseudo-memoir, Vance's appraisal of the sources of strife as multifaceted ring truer than most attempts to simplify it to “government,” “personal choice” or “culture” - all of which undoubtedly play a large role, but never an all-encompassing one. And despite a pretty dire personal narrative, the unique handholds in life that offered the author an opportunity to hold on and propel himself out of a bad situation undergird the book with an oddly uplifting, optimistic feeling even when at its darkest moments.