Tracey Malarkey

“There was no Mamaw to comfort me. But there were my two dogs on the floor, and there was the love of my life lying in bed. Tomorrow I would go to work, take the dogs to the park, buy groceries with Usha, and make a nice dinner. It was everything I ever wanted. So I patted Casper's head and went back to sleep”
― J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

“Mamaw always had two gods: Jesus Christ and the United States of America. I was no different, and neither was anyone else I knew. I’m”
― J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

“Nearly every person you will read about is deeply flawed. Some have tried to murder other people, and a few were successful. Some have abused their children, physically or emotionally. Many abused (and still abuse) drugs. But I love these people, even those to whom I avoid speaking for my own sanity. And if I leave you with the impression that there are bad people in my life, then I am sorry, both to you and to the people so portrayed. For there are no villains in this story. There's just a ragtag band of hillbillies struggling to find their way - both for their sake and, by the grace of God, for mine.”
― J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

“The day I graduated from boot camp was the proudest of my life. An entire crew of hillbillies showed up for my graduation—”
― J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis