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Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. I read book over two days. My belief is that this book should be on every school curriculum. Today I believe J.D. Vance, VP of the U.S. has launched his next book “Communion”. Can you elaborate on Hillbilly Elegy and then comment on Communion

Thought for 55s

Hillbilly Elegy (2016) is a bestselling memoir by J.D. Vance that blends personal storytelling with reflections on family, culture, poverty, and social mobility in parts of white working-class America, particularly Appalachian-influenced communities in Ohio and Kentucky.

en.wikipedia.org Quick Overview of the Book

Vance recounts his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, with deep family roots in Breathitt County, Kentucky. He describes a chaotic childhood marked by his mother’s struggles with addiction and unstable relationships, domestic instability, and the stabilizing (though sometimes harsh) influence of his grandparents—“Mamaw” and “Papaw”—who ultimately raised him. The narrative follows his path out of that environment: enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps (including service in Iraq), attending Ohio State University, and graduating from Yale Law School. Along the way, he reflects on broader patterns he observed—family breakdown, opioid and other substance issues, welfare dependency, declining work ethic in some communities, and a sense of fatalism or “learned helplessness.”

Core themes include:

• The critical role of stable, two-parent families in enabling upward mobility.
• Cultural factors (beyond pure economics) that can perpetuate cycles of poverty and dysfunction.
• Personal agency and resilience as keys to escaping difficult circumstances.
• The shift in political allegiance among many in these communities (from Democratic to Republican).

Vance does not frame it as a purely academic sociology text but as a firsthand “elegy” for a culture in crisis, while acknowledging his own escape through discipline, education, and opportunity.

en.wikipedia.org Reception and Impact

The book was a massive commercial success—it topped bestseller lists and helped explain aspects of the 2016 election dynamics among white working-class voters (without naming Donald Trump). It was praised by many for its raw honesty, emotional power, and willingness to discuss uncomfortable cultural issues alongside economic ones. A 2020 film adaptation directed by Ron Howard (starring Glenn Close as Mamaw and Amy Adams as Vance’s mother) brought it to a wider audience. Critics, however, accused it of stereotyping Appalachia and its people, overemphasizing individual/cultural failings while downplaying systemic factors like deindustrialization, racism, or policy failures. Some residents of the region felt it was condescending or painted too broad a brush. Counter-books and essays (such as Elizabeth Catte’s What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia and the anthology Appalachian Reckoning) pushed back against its generalizations.

en.wikipedia.orgHere is the common book cover for reference: https://artifacts.grokusercontent.com/third-party-image

amazon.com Should It Be on Every School Curriculum?

You read it in just two days and clearly found it compelling—that’s a strong endorsement of its narrative drive and accessibility. Many people share your view that it offers valuable insights into class, family breakdown, addiction, and the American Dream’s uneven reach, making it useful for sparking classroom discussions in high school or college courses on sociology, contemporary American history, literature (as memoir), or civics.Strengths for education:

• It humanizes complex social issues through personal story.
• It challenges simplistic “poverty is only about money” or “poverty is only about culture” narratives.
• It highlights themes like personal responsibility, family structure, and resilience that resonate across political lines.

Caveats:

• It is a memoir, not a neutral textbook or comprehensive scholarly work. Vance brings his own interpretive lens (shaped by his experiences and later political evolution).
• The controversies around stereotyping and selective emphasis mean it works best when paired with other voices—books or essays offering different perspectives on Appalachia, poverty, or working-class America.
• Not every school or grade level needs it as required reading. It could fit well as supplementary or elective material in relevant courses, especially where students discuss real-world social mobility, culture vs. economics debates, or regional American experiences.

In short, it’s thought-provoking and discussion-worthy, but “every school curriculum” is a high bar for any single memoir. Its value depends on how it’s taught—ideally with context and counterpoints for a fuller picture.

On Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith

Yes, J.D. Vance (currently serving as Vice President of the United States) released his second major book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, on June 16, 2026, through Harper (the same publisher as Hillbilly Elegy).

harvard.com It is explicitly positioned as a spiritual sequel or continuation that picks up where Hillbilly Elegy left off. While the first book focused on family, culture, and socioeconomic struggles, Communion centers on Vance’s religious journey:

• His childhood exposure to Protestant Christianity.
• Drifting into atheism or secularism during/after his military service and amid his pursuit of education, career success (Yale, venture capital, material achievements), which he describes leading to a “secular wilderness.”
• His return to faith and conversion to Catholicism in 2019.
• How faith now shapes his understanding of life stages (child, young man, husband, father, leader) and informs his views on public policy and society.

The book explores what it means to live as a Christian in modern America. Early coverage describes it as weaving personal memoir with reflections on faith’s role in public life—touching on priorities like strengthening families (over pure GDP focus), supporting young parents and children as alternatives to abortion, immigration policy, and rejecting certain economic ideas like universal basic income. The title refers to the Eucharist/Communion in the Catholic tradition.

cnn.com Here is the book cover: https://artifacts.grokusercontent.com/third-party-image

amazon.com My Comment on Communion

If Hillbilly Elegy resonated with you for its honest, fast-paced personal narrative about overcoming adversity through grit, choices, and family influences, Communion appears to be a natural next chapter. It shifts the lens inward to the spiritual dimension that was more implicit in the first book—how Vance lost and then regained faith, and how that faith now anchors his worldview and public role.

As a very recent release (only days old as of June 20, 2026), full critical reviews are still emerging.

Early reporting frames it as both intimate memoir and a broader statement on religion’s place in American life and politics. It will likely appeal strongly to readers interested in faith journeys, Catholic conversion stories, or how personal belief intersects with policy and leadership. Others may see it as carrying political undertones, given Vance’s position as VP and speculation about future ambitions.It’s more explicitly faith-centered and reflective than Hillbilly Elegy, so the tone may feel different—less sociological reportage and more spiritual exploration.

If you enjoyed the autobiographical style and the themes of personal transformation in the first book, this could be a worthwhile follow-up, especially for understanding the evolution of the author you just read.Both books are highly personal. Hillbilly Elegy gave many readers (including you) a window into certain American experiences; Communion offers Vance’s account of the faith that helped shape his path forward. Whether either (or both) belongs in school curricula depends on the educational goals—personal stories like these can illuminate big ideas, but balance and context matter.If you’d like recommendations for similar memoirs, critiques of Hillbilly Elegy, or more details once fuller reviews of Communion appear, just let me know!

3 web pages

Explore critiques of Hillbilly Elegy

Discuss Appalachian Reckoning anthology