Appalachia Reckoning Edited By Anthony Harkins and Meredith McCarroll

In 2016, J. D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy defined Appalachia for many, and the book was held up as a way for the rest of America to understnad what Appalachia is all about.  But it isn't that at all.  It is one guy's take on his growing up experience, and guess what, it is pretty much rehashing old tropes about the region.  He pulled himeself up by his bootstraps.  His family is violent and uneducated and in some cases drug addicted, but that is on them, in his mind. The fact (unknown to me when I read the book) is that he is a conservative, reinforcing conservative lack of acknowledgement of the impact that industrial take and never giving back in the community has contributed to the poverty.  The under current of racism in Vance's book is also addressed.
For Appalachian locals, Elegy is troubling. It hinders so much more than it helps.  This response is a multifaceted review that critically examines the assertions in Vance’s book and the reception thereof while redressing the current and historical complexity of Appalachian experience, which are more plural  than monolithic.
The contributors share Appalachian heritage, and their perspectives demonstrate the scope of Appalachian experiences and identity, covering a range of political persuasions, socioeconomic backgrounds, racial identities, and sexual orientations, among others. Their approaches are also multifaceted. Divided into direct commentary (mostly scholarly) and personal, artistic, and autobiographical reflections on Vance’s work, each contribution earnestly wrestles with Hillbilly Elegy‘s juggernaut effect, whether it’s from a perspective of dissent, appreciation, or reconciliation.  This book is a must read--skip Elegy if you are only going to read one.