J.D. Vance's Autobio HILLBILLY ELEGY is Self-Congratulatory & Lacking Resourecfullness

A lot of buzz about HILLBILLY ELEGY is due thanks to presidential candidate Trump's rousing the white lower middle-class with proferred promises of making American great, again.  Vance, a self-proclaimed Hillbilly (b. KY 1985) & raised mostly in Middeltown, OH, is a self-made success story despite the overwhelming odds thrust upon him.  Stop me if you're heard this before, he was raised by an abusive single mother (with revolving men in her life) with an alcohol & drug-addiction, prone to psychotic episodes.  Nevertheless, JD defied the odds with little social capital, no social graces and a quick fire temper, yet, still managed through OH State & Yale Law School.  Bravo, and kudos to the saving graces in his life: a steadfast older sister, steely grandparents & military training where he 1st learned self-empowerment.  Vance's stance was to enlighten us to how it feels to deeply love your family despite how deranged & destructive.  More importantly, to convey the feeling of helplessness & need to blame others for one's sad situation.  Admittedly, I was intrigued with uncovering the "Hillbilly culture" which remains socially & economically stagnant.  The disenfranchisement of the lower middle white class continues under a nebulous cloud of scrutiny & cynicism.  However, HILLBILLY ELEGY reads as grandiose self-testament to the author's own resiliency & tenacity.  I was dismayed with Vance's own life story & self-proclaimed love for those he surpassed (to his own amazement.)  I recommend instead reading the auto-bio THE OTHER WES MOORE.  Interestingly, both attribute military training as a launching pad for their future life successes.  JD doe not purport to provide answers.  I suggest mandatory military training for 2 years for all American youths (within ages 17-24)  This should prove not only beneficial for the individual, but act as a cohesive melting pot for the corrosive social divisions in our nation.

Swedish author Katrina Bivald's "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend" I would NEVER Recommend it to be Read

Katarina Bivald is a Swiss author & book store junkie. Her novel "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend" is meant to be a charming bibliophile's dream but it's maudlin drivel that doesn't deserve your time.  I found it annoying & so farfetched it made me retch.  Why then did I spend so much time reading this novel I deplored?  Because my bookgroup in my small town chose it.  I was determined to complete the book before I condemned it as crap at the next book meeting.  I can understood how the selection was misconstrued as being a worthy selection.  It proved worthless.   Sarah from Sweden, the heroine in the novel, travels to visit Amy, an elderly widow in a small town in IA with whom she's built  a pen pal relationship.  Meek Sarah stood her ground vs. the town's self-righteous officiando who proclaimed erotica writings as filth.  Sarah questioned how can a person judge a book without having read it.  I proclaim this book as unoriginal, poorly written & unappealing.  Sarah (Bivald's wishful avatar) had little to anchor her to her  home town in the way of friends, family ties or interests (except reading.)  The bookstore she worked in closed leaving adrift.  The invite to visit Broken Wheel seems ideal to Sarah.  This book is intended as a tribute to the transformative powers of reading and an essay extoling the virtues of community, relationships & life experiences.  Are you retching now, too?   Can't say I didn't warn you. Sarah saves the small dying town, brings out the best in everyone & finds true love.  Bivald believes her book is an amalgamation of "Bridges of Madison County," Pride & Pejudice," & "The Shipping News."  I knew this book was bunk from beginning to end.  I urge you not to waste your time reading "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend."