Hillbilly Elegy: a memoir of a family and culture in crisis by J.D. Vance

J.D. Vance grew up in what is known as the "Rust Belt", ranging from Kentucky's Appalachian Mountain range to southern Ohio. Poverty and unemployment is ubiquitous with many residents depending on public assistance. They are known as "hillbillies" and many are proud of that moniker, especially J.D.'s grandmother, the gun-toting, swearing matriarch who raised him. Vance explains this microcosm from an insider's viewpoint, and how he, unlike many of his peers, was able to successfully graduate from high school, join the Marines and eventually attend Yale Law School. He does so without apology for his background, giving the reader a unique look at a segment of America whose story is not often known and/or told. With numerous anecdotes ranging from the outrageously funny to nostalgic, Vance's memoir is beautifully rendered. A must-read.