Jul 25, 2024 - News

"Hillbilly Elegy" is a hot book at D.C. public libraries

Cuneyt Dil

JD Vance photographed signing a copy of "Hillbilly Elegy" — Photo: Gaelen Morse/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Washingtonians are checking out "Hillbilly Elegy" in droves from D.C.'s libraries ever since author and Sen. J.D. Vance became Donald Trump's running mate.

Why it matters: The 2016 memoir about working-class life in Appalachia propelled Vance to national prominence.

State of play: Since the VP candidacy news, there are 58 holds on the print copy of "Hillbilly Elegy," after previously having just one, according to a D.C. Public Library spokesperson.

The ebook version has 81 copies borrowed and 104 people waiting.
There are 318 new holds on the audiobook.

The book is seen by many as a guide to understanding the popularity of Trump among rural white Americans.

But it also faced blowback in Appalachia for what critics saw as its sweeping generalizations about the region and its people.

Zoom out: Sales also skyrocketed and returned it to Amazon's bestseller list last week, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports.

Interest also surged for the 2020 Netflix film adaption.

Meanwhile, "Veep" viewership is up 350% after Kamala Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

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"Hillbilly Elegy" is a hot book at D.C. public libraries

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