Tracey Malarkey

“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

“Kind of boring, by some standards, but happy in a way you appreciate only when you understand the consequences of not being boring.”
― 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

“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