Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains

Nothing new in this book-she’s a Democrat so there was politics in the book which I didn’t like. Don’t spend your money go to the library and get it. I wouldn’t reread this.

I live in Lexington, KY. Have lived in Kentucky for 35 years and have relatives in London. This book was ok but at the end, the author lets her deep Democratic political leanings and biases be known....and it is completely disingenuous for the author, who inspired the passing of Jeannette’s law to not acknowledge that it was a Republican governor who signed the bill into law. She conveniently left that little tidbit out. Furthermore when discussing race relations in KY--and painting KY as a racist state with little to no progress in that regard-- she neglected to mention that at the time of her writing, the Lieutenant Governor for KY, under the Republican governor was a black woman. Hello?!?! She obviously had an agenda and wanted to paint KY in a way that furthered her political biases. Looking at her Twitter account, I see that she's running for office in Louisville, so this book had to be written with not so much as a positive mention of anything her party despises, which is why she left those important details out. I didn’t appreciate all of the politics, and if I had read that first I doubt I would have finished the book. It left such a bad taste in my mouth because she clearly wasn't even trying to be objective. Talking about politics is one thing--but when you sell a book as being about the strength of the Hill Women of KY, and then get 'all political,' it's a turn off.Her story was a fine one but I also felt like it was one tangent after another. She would start a subject and then suddenly we’d jump back in time by one or two decades on a backstory. I wonder if there was a better way to unfold her story. Too much jumping around for me.I think she may be too young to have written her memoir (most people wait until they've lived at least until middle age?) and perhaps a few years of having it on the shelf would have brought some much needed maturity to her piece. She was constantly hand wringing over her actions, her perception of herself, and how others may or may not have perceived her. A lot of self-obsession. Perhaps a little time and distance would help to make this a little less sounding like ‘poor me I don’t know who I am.’I realize this is a memoir so there’s a needle to thread without sounding like you aren’t overly focused on yourself but compared to other memoirs I have read I know it’s possible to do so. Mostly, I just thought her politics and the way she portrayed KY as a racist state were a real turn off.

This book was boring from the start. My mother was born and raised in eastern Kentucky. I persevered because I paid for it. Toward the very end the author ruined it by discussing politics and being a Democrat. She should have made it very clear in the beginning that she had this agenda. Would not recommend this book at all! Not just for her politics but because it did not have a major impact on her life. She had it pretty easy in life. If I could get my $ back I would.

As an Appalachian woman from a nearby area, with incredibly similar experiences and the same grit and determination, I was expecting a tribute to strong willed, determined women who not only survive but somehow manage to succeed. In the very least, the synopsis suggested a story that informed non-Appalachians about the amazing bonds of tight-knit families, showcasing one woman as she grows up in an area filled with pervasive poverty and proud people who work themselves to death to survive and provide for their families.While the author mentions these things, and paints an accurate picture of the topography, she rapidly launches into a self-centered narrative about her success and how she struggled to adapt to a world of the rich and privileged.To be fair, she lovingly describes her mother, grandmother, and Aunt Ruth and their influence in her upbringing. But the further one reads, the more obvious it becomes that the book is written with the intent of leading the reader down a liberal, politically charged path that culminates by bringing Hilary Clinton's presidential run in view, and states that President Trump failed the people of Appalachia with empty promises and disappointment.Don't waste your money; this is simply a way for the author to publicly state her politics and get money from you to boot. I wasted mine; but burning the book in my Appalachian brush pile gave me some sense of satisfaction.

One of the worst books I have ever read - found it not really representative of Appalachia I know - too “ folksy “ - her bias toward Kavanaugh - made me stop reading all together - do not recommend 👎🏻