My reading really slacked with the last half of November while I focused on our WWOOFing experience and completing Nanowrimo. I only finished one book in time for the end of the month book review. That book does mark my 100th book read this year! I achieved my goal of reading 100 books in 2018!
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
I read this book as an audiobook. It’s narrated by the author. I found J.D. Vance’s family story fascinating. The parts involving his upbringing were similar to a train wreck where you just can’t look away. I love family histories and stories or tales that get passed down. His pride in knowing he came from a hardy but rough family had me questioning some of my own family legends. What causes pride in some descendants would be considered criminal activity by most of the public.
His insight into Appalachia culture and social issues informed me of an area and people that I hadn’t ever considered before. Recent reviews and new articles portray this book as very controversial. I found it to be a sad but honest story as seen from one person’s viewpoint. Vance doesn’t claim to be an authority on all things Appalachia or that there isn’t hardship in other areas of our country. He’s simply sharing the story of his upbringing and family life which shines a spotlight on the poverty, abuse, and addiction cycles in that area.
The book ends with some hope. Vance made it out into what he considers a better life but he is one of the few that escapes the cycle. Vance’s grandparents were wonderful characters in the book and redeem themselves with their failings as parents by being there to raise their grandchildren in a safe and encouraging environment.
It’s a memoir so I won’t give it a star rating but I really enjoyed Vance’s talent for story telling and learning more about an area I’d never given much thought.
Here are my book stats for the month of November:
Total Books Read: 4
3 Female Authors and 1 Male Author
Nationalities: All American
2 Nonfiction and 2 Fiction
Format: 2 Audiobook/ 2 Ebooks
Source: 4 Libby Library Books
Total Pages Read: 687
Total Hours Listened: 11 hours, 49 minutes
What books did you read in November?
