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Quick answer: If you loved Jd Vance, read Tara Westover's Educated, then Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle, then Matthew Desmond's Evicted, and Jessica Bruder's Nomadland and Amy Goldstein's Janesville. All are honest memoirs and reporting on class and family.
J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy is a memoir about growing up in Ohio and Kentucky. These picks share its focus on family, class and hardship.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educated | Tara Westover | Adult | readers who like coming-of-age stories |
| The Glass Castle | Jeannette Walls | Adult | readers who like survival stories |
| Evicted | Matthew Desmond | Adult | poverty and housing |
| Nomadland | Jessica Bruder | Adult | modern migrants |
| Janesville | Amy Goldstein | Adult | towns after closures |
| Born a Crime | Trevor Noah | Adult | humour and hardship |
| The Distance Between Us | Reyna Grande | Adult | memoir |
| Nickel and Dimed | Barbara Ehrenreich | Adult | low-wage work |
| The Line Becomes a River | Francisco Cantú | Adult | readers who want a modern view |
| Dry | Augusten Burroughs | Adult | more Burroughs |
| Running with Scissors | Augusten Burroughs | Adult | chaotic family memoir |
| Poor Economics | Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo | Adult | evidence on poverty |
| Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism | Anne Case and Angus Deaton | Adult | public health and economics |
| The Worst Hard Time | Timothy Egan | Adult | nonfiction readers |
| The Bottom Billion | Paul Collier | Adult | why poor countries stay poor |
1. Educated by Tara Westover
Westover grows up in a survivalist family and goes to college. Gripping and honest.
Best for: readers who like coming-of-age stories.
2. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Walls grew up with brilliant but irresponsible parents. Vivid, funny and sad.
Best for: readers who like survival stories.
3. Evicted by Matthew Desmond
Follows families facing eviction in Milwaukee. Sociology that reads like a novel.
Best for: poverty and housing.
4. Nomadland by Jessica Bruder
The author spends time with older Americans who live in vans and chase seasonal work. Compassionate and eye opening.
Best for: modern migrants.
5. Janesville by Amy Goldstein
The story of a Wisconsin town after the local General Motors plant closes. A moving look at how a community responds to loss.
Best for: towns after closures.
6. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Noah describes growing up mixed-race in apartheid South Africa. Funny and powerful.
Best for: humour and hardship.
7. The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande
A girl crosses the border and builds a new life. Moving and honest.
Best for: memoir.
8. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
A writer takes low-wage jobs to see how people live. Sharp and still relevant.
Best for: low-wage work.
9. The Line Becomes a River by Francisco Cantú
A former Border Patrol agent reflects on his work. Thoughtful and haunting.
Best for: readers who want a modern view.
10. Dry by Augusten Burroughs
Burroughs recounts his time in rehab and recovery from alcoholism. Funny and raw.
Best for: more Burroughs.
11. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
A teenager's years in the household of his mother's psychiatrist. Dark and funny.
Best for: chaotic family memoir.
12. Poor Economics by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Uses experiments to study poverty and what helps. Practical and humane.
Best for: evidence on poverty.
13. Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Anne Case and Angus Deaton
Two economists study rising deaths among less-educated white Americans. Data-driven and humane.
Best for: public health and economics.
14. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
Egan tells the story of those who stayed in the Dust Bowl. Vivid and grim, with a gripping set of characters.
Best for: nonfiction readers.
15. The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier
Collier identifies traps that keep countries poor. Clear and provocative.
Best for: why poor countries stay poor.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Jd Vance: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Jd Vance. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For memoirs, read Educated or The Glass Castle. For reporting, try Evicted or Nomadland. For history, pick Janesville.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Hillbilly Elegy?
J.D. Vance, in 2016.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 2020 Netflix film.
Is it controversial?
Yes, it has drawn praise and criticism.
Which book here is best for why poor countries stay poor?
Try The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier, which suits readers looking for why poor countries stay poor.
Which book here is best for nonfiction readers?
Try The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan, which suits readers looking for nonfiction readers.
Which book here is best for public health and economics?
Try Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Anne Case and Angus Deaton, which suits readers looking for public health and economics.
Which book here is best for evidence on poverty?
Try Poor Economics by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo, which suits readers looking for evidence on poverty.
Which book here is best for chaotic family memoir?
Try Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, which suits readers looking for chaotic family memoir.
Which book here is best for more Burroughs?
Try Dry by Augusten Burroughs, which suits readers looking for more Burroughs.