Best Books; Hillbilly Elegy - Crises in the Culture of Poor White America

From American Conservative
By Rod Dreher - July 22, 2016

"I wrote last week about the new nonfiction book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and a Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance, the Yale Law School graduate who grew up in the poverty and chaos of an Appalachian clan. The book is an American classic, an extraordinary testimony to the brokenness of the white working class, but also its strengths. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. With the possible exception of Yuval Levin’s The Fractured Republic, for Americans who care about politics and the future of our country, Hillbilly Elegy is the most important book of 2016. You cannot understand what’s happening now without first reading J.D. Vance. His book does for poor white people what Ta-Nehisi Coates’s book did for poor black people: give them voice and presence in the public square. This interview I just did with Vance in two parts (the final question I asked after Trump’s convention speech) shows why."

Trump: Tribune of Poor White People - American Conservative


Blogger Comments:
Different readers will find different issues in this book and article. It is important to note that these Americans DID find a voice in Trump and pulled national attention their way. You will also note that the book's author was successful in breaking the cycle of poverty and cultural limitations. The frankness of the analysis is something that America needs to learn to use so that policy discussions can focus on real solutions to the more persistent challenges in America.