Books & Brunch plans discussion of 'Hillbilly Elegy' on Saturday, April 15, at noon

The National Press Club’s Books & Brunch group plans to discuss Hillbilly Elegy, A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance at the NPC's Fourth Estate Restaurant on Saturday, April 15, at noon.

In her New York Times review, Jennifer Senior wrote that the book is a “compassionate, discerning sociological analysis.... Combining thoughtful inquiry with firsthand experience, Mr. Vance has inadvertently provided a civilized reference guide for an uncivilized election, and he’s done so in a vocabulary intelligible to both Democrats and Republicans. Imagine that.”

The author, who grew up in a "poor white" environment, went on to graduate from Yale Law School.

Some reviewers said Hillbilly Elegy is a must-read to understand the Trump victory.

At its May 20 meeting, the group plans to discuss War and Turpentine by Stefan Hertmans. The book is a novel based on the memoir of the author’s grandfather who fought in World War I.

The Books & Brunch group is for Club members and their guests. In fact, members are encouraged to bring gusts. The group normally meets on the third Saturday of the month.

The Club now requires guests who are not members with coded ID cards that allow entry through the security gates to obtain a guest code to enter the Club.

If you do not have a Club ID card please email [email protected] to request a code that you can print out to use.

For more information contact Jack Williams, Books & brunch chair, at [email protected].