This book has potential: Vance grew up in a challenging environment and, despite the odds, overcame significant strife through hard work and perseverance. Yet, it somehow missed the mark for me: Vance lacks the self-awareness to relate to his audience, too intent on defending his community to build a strong thesis around what he wishes to accomplish with his book. He lacks structure, trying to capture a moral he can't quite express. His story is one worth telling and reading. It's a shame it doesn't deliver on what it really set out to do: get the reader to better appreciate his people.

Bought at my local book store for book club