In the introduction to Hillbilly Elegy, JD Vance calls Appalachia a “culture in trouble.” One main trouble, he explains, is this: “Hillbillies deal with uncomfortable truths by avoiding them or by pretending better truths exist.” Vance also tells us, “My primary aim is to tell a true story about what that problem feels like when you were born with it hanging around your neck.”

Vance’s book is a memoir. Before we read any further, let’s talk about the value of memoirs in diagnosing large-scale issues. Can we extrapolate Vance’s experience and apply it to all of this culture? He tells us that the book is not an academic study — a big disclaimer. We all understand the value of the academic study in guiding solutions, but what is the value in personal experience?

Vance also talks about the role of memory in writing a truthful memoir, saying that even if there are some inaccuracies in his account, that “there is something to learn in how I’ve organized the events in my own mind.” But what if they’re incorrect? Does memory have its own truth? And how reliable do we anticipate Vance’s memoir will be? Is he avoiding any uncomfortable truths?

These are big questions! See if you can answer them (or most of them) using examples from the introduction and Chapter 1.

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