Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance

There's been a lot of buzz about this book ever since it came out last year. I've heard that it's something we should read to try to figure out how Trump's base thinks and why the people in Ohio and Kentucky flocked to support him. And I think it accomplished this. It does portray a family and way of life that certainly is different from what I know. For that, I was glad I read it. However, it wasn't an enjoyable read for me. -June

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

What's wrong with me? Everyone loves this book. It gets fabulous online reviews. My friends can't stop talking about it. At my book club, I was the only one out of 18 people who said, "It was just OK" as everyone else babbled on how it was their favorite book of the year.

It has two story lines and while I often like the technique of a current story and a story in a different time, I only liked one of the stories here. In the 1930's, southern children were being taken away from their parents, put in the Tennessee Children's Home, and then sold to wealthy families. This part of the story is true. In the novel, we follow one young girl, Rill, and her struggle to keep her siblings together through this horrible ordeal. This was a great story.

The second story line takes place in the present time and is about Avery Stafford, an attorney from a wealthy, political southern family, who is home to help her family through a health issue. She's engaged to marry a family friend, but it's oh-so-very clear from the moment she meets Trent that her fiance is toast. The author lost me when she went into detail on Trent's looks including his ripped abdomen. I knew then how Avery's story would end. I love a good love story, but this one was just too predictable.

But then I'm the only one on the planet who questions this novel. I suppose you should read it and decide for yourself. Or just read the parts about Rill and skip over Avery. - June