Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance is a personal and sociological exploration of America's white working-class communities, particularly in Appalachia. Through his own story of growing up in a struggling, tight-knit family in a post-industrial Ohio town, Vance illustrates the cycles of poverty, addiction, and lack of opportunity that have long plagued these communities. The memoir combines personal narrative with broader reflections on the cultural and economic forces affecting rural America, offering insight into the lives of the "hillbillies" and the challenges they face.