US Vice President JDVance recounts painful childhood in memoir

The memoir Hillbilly Elegy by US Vice President JD Vance quickly caused a stir when it was published, becoming a bestseller, with many countries buying the copyright and adapting it into a film of the same name, Hillbilly Elegy, in 2020. This is considered one of the important works that helps explain the social and political upheavals in the United States at that time.

The Elegy of the Countryman (translated by Pham Quang Vinh, Omega and published by The Gioi Publishing House) consists of 15 chapters, revolving around true stories about Vance's family, childhood, journey to adulthood and the people around him. The book is not only a recounting of memories but also opens up many profound perspectives for readers to contemplate and reflect on many different aspects.

The memoir quickly became a best-seller, receiving much attention from critics after its release in the US.

Photo: Publishing House

"I'm just an abandoned child..."

Vice President of the United States JDVance grew up in Middletown, Ohio and Jackson, Kentucky, in the Appalachian region. After graduating from high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps and served in Iraq. He graduated from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. In 2022, Vance was elected to the United States Senate representing Ohio. In 2024, he became the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee and was sworn in as vice president on January 20, 2025.

And, he said, "I loved Ohio, but it was filled with painful memories. I was the abandoned child of a father I barely knew and a mother I wished I had never known. In Ohio, I became especially good at dealing with the different 'fathers' my mother brought back...".

The work was adapted into a film in 2020.

Photo: Publishing House

Listen to author Vance share in the book: “I was a promising kid with no bright future. I almost got kicked out of high school, almost collapsed under the anger and deep resentment of the people around me. That is the true story of my life, and also the reason I wrote this book.”

And according to US Vice President JDVance, "How much of our lives, good or bad, is the result of personal choices, and how much is simply the result of culture, of families, and of parents who failed to raise their children? How much of my mother's life was her fault? Where is the line between blame and sympathy...".

In writing this memoir, he "wanted people to understand what it feels like to be on the verge of giving up on yourself and why people end up in that situation. I wanted people to see what life is like for the poor and the psychological impact that deprivation, both material and spiritual, has on their children. I wanted people to understand the American Dream in the way that my family and I have experienced it. I wanted people to feel what the journey to social advancement is really like. And I wanted people to understand something that I have only recently realized: that even for those who are lucky enough to achieve the American Dream, the ghosts of the past continue to haunt them."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/pho-tong-thong-my-jdvance-ke-ve-tuoi-tho-dau-buon-trong-hoi-ky-185250328145006127.htm