Well, I don't know what to do with this!

It was honestly very interesting. While I am from nowhere near the south, some of Vance's descriptions made me think of my own grandparents. It has always puzzled me, the way their seemingly devout Christianity mixed with the chaos and upheaval of their life. Not as wild or as violent as Vance's family, to be fair, but not NOT wild and violent either. So I'm glad I read this book, if just for that.

Overall, it's a well-written autobiography and held my attention. Vance consciously struggles among feelings of anger, sadness, understanding, and love throughout all the anecdotes told of his childhood. It's a big, complicated, messed-up mix in a way I'm sure many children of bad circumstances who nevertheless love their families can understand.

If there's a greater thesis beyond just a pure autobiography, I struggled to distill it down.

Vance points at economic and systemic issues suffered by his community. He points out cultural handicaps handed down by his family. He discusses the role his own agency and taking responsibility had in the way his life changed, and at the same time repeatedly emphasizes that he never would have made it out of poverty without numerous factors out of his control. He is proud of his roots, and at the same time seems disappointed in the people he comes from.

He seems, at times, like he himself doesn't know how to feel.