The library will be closed on November 28th, 29th, and 30th for Thanksgiving.

New Books

The Truth about Melody Browne

The Truth About Melody Browne

This “touching, insightful, and gripping story” (Sophie Kinsella, New York Times bestselling author) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of None of This Is True follows a young woman searching for answers about her mysterious past. 

When she was a child, Melody Browne’s house burned down, destroying all her family’s possessions and her memories. Ever since this tragic event, Melody has had no recollection of her life before she was rescued from the flames.

Now in her early thirties, Melody is a single mother, living in the middle of London with her teenaged son. She hasn’t seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but she has no desire to reconnect until one night, while attending a hypnotist show with a date, she faints. When she comes around, she is suddenly overwhelmed with fragmented memories of her life before that fateful fire.

Slowly, she begins the arduous process of piecing together the real story of her childhood. Her journey takes her up and down the countryside, to seaside towns to the back streets of London, where she meets strangers who seem to love her like their own. But the more answers she uncovers, the more questions she is left with, and Melody can’t help but wonder if she’ll ever know the whole truth about her past.

Filled with “classic storytelling” (Elle) and unforgettable characters that will stay with you long after the final page, The Truth About Melody Browne is “an absolute must-read” (Cosmopolitan, UK).

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I Found You

“Readers of Liane Moriarty, Paula Hawkins, and Ruth Ware will love.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“Jewell’s novel explores the space between going missing and being lost….how the plots intersect and finally collide is one of the great thrills of reading Jewell’s book. She ratchets up the tension masterfully, and her writing is lively.” —The New York Times 

In the windswept British seaside town of Ridinghouse Bay, single mom Alice Lake finds a man sitting on a beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, and no idea how he got there. Against her better judgment, she invites him inside.

Meanwhile, in a suburb of London, newlywed Lily Monrose grows anxious when her husband fails to return home from work one night. Soon, she receives even worse news: according to the police, the man she married never even existed.

Twenty-three years earlier, Gray and Kirsty Ross are teenagers on a summer holiday with their parents. The annual trip to Ridinghouse Bay is uneventful, until an enigmatic young man starts paying extra attention to Kirsty. Something about him makes Gray uncomfortable—and it’s not just because he’s a protective older brother.

Who is the man on the beach? Where is Lily’s missing husband? And what ever happened to the man who made such a lasting and disturbing impression on Gray?

“A mystery with substance” (Kirkus Reviews), I Found You is a delicious collision course of a novel, filled with the believable characters, stunning writing, and “surprising revelations all the way up to the ending” (Booklist) that make the New York Times bestselling author of None of This Is True Lisa Jewell so beloved by audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

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An Insignificant Case

A new standalone legal thriller from the international bestselling author of GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.

Charlie Webb is a third rate lawyer who graduated from a third rate law-school and, because he couldn’t get hired by any of the major law firms, has opened his own law firm, where he gets by handling cases for dubious associates from his youth and some court appointed cases. Described as “a leaky boat floating down the stream of life,” Charlie has led unremarkable life, personally and professionally. Until he’s appointed to be the attorney for a decidedly crackpot artist who calls himself Guido Sabatini (born Lawrence Weiss). Sabatini has been arrested – again – for breaking into a restaurant and stealing back a painting he sold them because he was insulted by where it was displayed. But as Lawrence Weiss, he’s also an accomplished card shark and burglar and while he was there, he stole a thumb drive from the owner’s safe.

Not knowing what else Sabatani has stolen, Webb negotiates the return of the painting and “other items’ for the owner dropping charges against Sabatini. But the contents of the flash drive threatens very powerful figures who are determined to retrieve it, the restaurant owner (Gretchen Hall) and her driver (Yuri Makarov) are being investigated for the sex trafficking of minors, and there are others who have a violent grudge against Sabatini. When a minor theft case becomes a double homicide, and even more, Charlie Webb, an insignificant lawyer assigned to an insignificant case, is faced with the most important, and deadliest, case of his life. Going back to his long-time bestselling roots, Phillip Margolin returns with a brilliant standalone legal thriller in the tradition of John Grisham.

Image for "Breaking the Dark"

Breaking the Dark

"Absolutely perfect." --Booklist
"Fresh, lively, insightful--astonishing." -- AJ Finn

In her most imaginative novel yet, #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell (None of This Is True) launches the Marvel Crime series of thriller books for adults with an original story starring the private detective Jessica Jones.

Meet Jessica Jones: Retired super hero, private investigator, loner. She tried her best to be a shiny spandex crimefighter, but that life only led to unspeakable trauma. Now she avoids that world altogether and works on surviving day-to-day in Hell's Kitchen, New York.

The morning a distraught mother comes into her office, Jessica would prefer to nurse her hangover and try to forget last night's poor choices. But something about Amber Randall's story strikes a chord with her. Amber is adamant that something happened to her teenage twins while they were visiting their father in the UK. The twins don't act like themselves, and they now have flawless skin, have lost their distinctive tics and habits, and keep talking about a girl named Belle. Amber insists her children have been replaced by something horrible, something "perfect."

Traveling to a small village in the British countryside, Jessica meets the mysterious Belle, who lives a curiously isolated life in an old farmhouse with a strange woman who claims to be her guardian. Can this unworldly teenager really be responsible for the Randall twins' new personas? Why does the strange little village of Barton Wallop seem to harbor dark energies and mysteries in its tight-knit community?

A mother's intuition is never wrong. And Jessica knows that nothing in life is perfect--not these kids, not her on-again, off-again relationship with Luke Cage, and certainly not Jessica herself. But even as she tries to buy into the idea that better days are ahead, Jessica Jones has seen all too clearly that behind every promise of perfection trails a dark, dangerous shadow. 

Breaking the Dark, the first book in the brand-new Marvel Crime series, introduces fans to a grittier, street-level side of the Marvel Universe, and will continue with original novels featuring fan-favorite characters like Luke Cage, written by S.A. Cosby, and Daredevil, written by Alex Segura.

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The Christmas Tree Farm

From the author of the viral TikTok sensation, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe and The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, comes the only spicy grumpy x sunshine Christmas romcom you need this year!

'A charming break from reality' Publishers Weekly

Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that's too cute for its own good.

Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor taking a break from his life in California. And most importantly, taking a break from his latest run of disastrous dates.

After a run in with Kira in her fields, Ben has no intention of offering to help the grumpy owner set up her tree farm, despite the fact she's clearly got no idea what she's doing.

Kira knows she should stop being so stubborn, but her farm is not all cute and cozy like people always show on social media, it's borderline dangerous with no heating, and she'd rather no one saw it.

But somehow fate finds Ben at Kira's farm once more, and as Kira watches him swing an ax at the first tree, she finds herself appreciating his strength and questioning why she refused help in the first place..

The Christmas Tree Farm is a spicy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed!

Tropes:

  • Grumpy x Sunshine
  • Small Town
  • Forced Proximity
  • One Bed

Readers have fallen for Laurie Gilmore

'Wonderful story with tears, laughter, mysteries, uncertainty and happiness' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Compelling, cozy and delightful narrative' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A charming small town romance with sizzling chemistry and plenty of spice' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I LOVED THIS SO BAD. The vibes of the small town were immaculate' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This book makes my heart happy!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The perfect kind of romance for me' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice

Based on the remarkable true story of the Carpathia--the one ship and her legendary captain who answered the distress call of the sinking Titanic.


 

Shortly after midnight on April 15, 1912, the captain of the Carpathia, Arthur Rostron, wakes to a distress signal from the Titanic, which has struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage. Though information is scarce, Rostron leaps into action, determined to answer the call for help. But the Carpathia is more than four hours away, and there are more questions than answers: Will his ship hold together if pushed to never-before-tested speeds? What if he also strikes an iceberg? And with the freezing temperatures, will there be any survivors by the time the Carpathia arrives?


 

Kate Connolly is a third-class passenger on Titanic, and she is among the last to receive instruction and help after it hits an iceberg. Despite the chaos of abandoning ship, Kate is able to board a lifeboat, though after seeing the Titanic sink into the abyss and hearing the cries from hundreds of people still in the water, she wonders if any rescue is even possible.


 

Told in alternating chapters from both Captain Rostron and Kate Connolly, this novel is a compelling, heart-pounding account of two eyewitnesses to an epic disaster. Rostron's heroic and compassionate leadership, his methodical preparations for rescue, and his grit and determination to act honorably and selflessly to save lives and care for the survivors, sets the course for this awe-inspiring story.

The Perfect Hideaway

The Perfect Hideaway

Jane Austen's Emma is reimagined in this charming small-town, opposites-attract contemporary novel for fans of Erika Montgomery, Brenda Novak, and Jenny Hale.



 

Annie Martin is thrilled to have moved from the hectic buzz of L.A. to the small town of Hillsboro, California, where the Anderson sisters have welcomed her into their family. Annie has tried to repay their friendship with over-the-top (but effective!) matchmaking and now there's only one Anderson still looking for love. But Rose proves surprisingly prickly--and Annie soon realizes she'll need someone with a deeper knowledge of Hillsboro's most eligible bachelors. Even if he's the one person she doesn't want getting up close and personal ...



 

Local reporter and all-around grouch George Barnett has been a thorn in Annie's side since she came to town. He knows all too well that everyone has secrets, and he thinks the story of why social media darling Annie Martin swapped stilettos for sneakers might be the scoop that makes his career. When Annie offers him an exclusive interview in exchange for his help with setting up Rose, George knows he's found his in.



 

But the more George and Annie try to control the love lives around them, the less they're able to sway their own hearts. As Annie's infectious laugh begins to bring down George's barrier of surliness, can he open his heart and let her in for real? And can Annie be brave enough to trust the man who could be her future, with the secrets of her past?

The Amish Quiltmaker's Uninvited Guest

The Amish Quiltmaker's Uninvited Guest

Even with her thriving quilt shop and baby-on-the-way, Colorado Amish quiltmaker Esther Kiem always has time for matchmaking--even when it comes to her frustratingly exacting distant cousin!



 

Infused with her signature humor and saturated with heart, award-winning, USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Beckstrand blends quilting, mischief, and matchmaking for the fifth Amish Quiltmaker romance--perfect for fans of Amy Clipston, Wanda Brunstetter, and Linda Byler.



 

Esther's distant cousin, widower Menno Eicher, needs to be hard-headed and practical. Swamped by family and farm responsibilities, he must find the perfect wife as quickly as possible, so he's shown up in Colorado--with "finding a wife" on his To-Do list! Esther's community has many women who could match his ever-growing requirements. Still, after a chance meeting, Menno keeps coming back to baker Joanna Yoder. Hard-working, honest, and forthright, she's distracting Menno from his search, opening his heart--yet refuses to believe he's falling hopelessly in love with her ...



 

Happily busy inventing and selling delicious desserts, Joanna has no time for someone as ridiculously exacting as Menno. After all, what sort of man thinks choosing a wife is like picking a pie at the general store? But she soon sees the surprisingly kind heart, doting father, and understanding man beneath his hard-to-please ways. With faith and genuine love, might the few things they have in common overcome the differences between them--and prove precious enough to risk a future together?

Who Is Mary?

Who Is Mary?

The first book in a new Amish romance series by beloved novelist Linda Byler, an active member of the Amish church.



 

With her copper red hair and inquisitive personality, Mary is an anomaly in her Amish community in western New York. She tries to join in the fun with the other youth as they gather for hymn singings and games, but she finds it all rather dull. None of the young men are interested in her and she's even less interested in them. With each passing year, she feels more and more out of place and stifled by life as a misfit in a rural Amish community.



 

When her aunt comes for a visit and suggests she return to Lancaster with her to help manage her bakery, Mary sees her opportunity for the change she's desperately craving. But her parents forbid her to go, her father convinced that leaving the family for the busy life of Lancaster will lead her down a path of destruction. Mary is deeply distressed, wanting to honor her parents' wishes and also knowing she can't stay trapped in their isolated community forever. At twenty-one, she's old enough to decide for herself, and yet it's painful to be at odds with her father. Will she go, despite her father's dire warnings? If she stays, will she just continue to disappoint her parents, asking too many questions and never finding a man to marry?



 

One thing is sure. Before she can even think about dating, she needs to figure out who she is and where she belongs. And that might require a boldness she didn't know she possessed.

Image for "The Pumpkin Spice Café"

The Pumpkin Spice Café

Winner of the TikTok Shop Book of the Year 2024, Sunday Times and USA Today bestseller.

As seen on Good Morning America!

A spicy small-town romance and TikTok phenomenon, perfect for fans of Hannah Grace and Stephanie Archer.

When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.

Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs. But Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logan's routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Will Jeanie's happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won't fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes...

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe is a cozy romantic novel with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!

Tropes:

  • Grumpy x Sunshine
  • Small town
  • Found family
  • Spicy

Readers have fallen for Dream Harbor, will you?

'This is everything I love! Cozy small town romance, fall vibes, coffee house vibes, and grumpy x sunshine trope that was done perfectly!'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Wonderful story with tears, laughter, mysteries, uncertainty and happiness' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Compelling, cozy and delightful narrative' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A charming small town romance with sizzling chemistry and plenty of spice' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I LOVED THIS SO BAD. The vibes of the small town were immaculate, the cast of people around Jeanie and Logan amazing, the story soooo heartwarming' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Ooohh I adored this! Fall setting, small town, coffee shop, grumpy sunshine!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This book makes my heart happy!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'As a lover of fall and small town romance, this book was the perfect kind of romance for me' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This was a gorgeous cinnamon spiced huge mug of psl and cozy jumpers and autumn leaves sort of a book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Image for "The Cinnamon Bun Book Store"

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

From the author of the viral TikTok phenomenon, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, comes a brand new spicy romance!

'Unputdownable, I devoured [it] within days... Dream Harbor is not short of a vibrant and hilarious cast of characters to help breathe life into the already charming town' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

'A charming break from reality' Publishers Weekly

When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues... she just needs someone to help her out.

Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he's been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!

Hazel didn't go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells...

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is a Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling cozy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed!

Tropes:

  • opposites attract
  • small town
  • forced proximity
  • he falls first

Readers have fallen for Laurie Gilmore

'I absolutely loved this small town, cosy romantic and very steamy novel just as much as The Pumpkin Spice Cafe' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Wonderful story with tears, laughter, mysteries, uncertainty and happiness' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Compelling, cozy and delightful narrative' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A charming small town romance with sizzling chemistry and plenty of spice' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I LOVED THIS SO BAD. The vibes of the small town were immaculate' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This book makes my heart happy!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The perfect kind of romance for me' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Perfect for reading in the evening with a little fire going' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I enjoyed this so much! Completely heartwarming and unputdownable, the steamy scenes were a bonus' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'[This] gave me everything I needed from an easy read and was the perfect addition to the Dream Harbor series' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I read it in one sitting because I couldn't bear to put it down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Just the perfect amount of sugar and spice... a literal dream to read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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A Christmas Duet

A solo holiday trip inspires one woman to rediscover her passion—and remember that, sometimes, duets are more fun—in this romantic Christmas novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

“A perfectly delicious Christmas bonbon of a novel.”—Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Santa Suit and Bright Lights, Big Christmas

Hailey Morgan’s life has always revolved around music. She once had big dreams of becoming a professional songwriter, but the reality of life has led her to working as an assistant high school band teacher in Portland. As the holidays approach, Hailey dreads the annual tradition of spending Christmas with her family and dodging her mother’s meddling questions about her love life.

When Hailey’s close friend offers her the use of her family’s empty cabin for a rejuvenating solo holiday retreat, Hailey finally decides to do something to make herself happy. However, her arrival in the small town of Podunk, Oregon, is anything but peaceful when she discovers the cabin has been invaded by several wild animals. Luckily, Jay, the son of the town’s main store proprietor—and an incredibly handsome and charming former musician to boot—is more than willing to help.

Soon Hailey and Jay are nearly inseparable, chopping down and decorating a Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa in front of a cozy fire, and best of all, playing music together. Jay’s positive feedback and encouragement inspire Hailey to believe she might succeed as a songwriter after all. But even in her snow-dusted oasis, family holiday drama still finds Hailey, interrupting and threatening her newfound peace and confidence. Meanwhile revelations from Jay present complications of their own. Suddenly her Christmas paradise has become a winter storm and Hailey must weather through the challenges to stand up for herself and embrace the holiday spirit.

Popular Books

Image for "Breaking the Dark"

Breaking the Dark

"Absolutely perfect." --Booklist
"Fresh, lively, insightful--astonishing." -- AJ Finn

In her most imaginative novel yet, #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell (None of This Is True) launches the Marvel Crime series of thriller books for adults with an original story starring the private detective Jessica Jones.

Meet Jessica Jones: Retired super hero, private investigator, loner. She tried her best to be a shiny spandex crimefighter, but that life only led to unspeakable trauma. Now she avoids that world altogether and works on surviving day-to-day in Hell's Kitchen, New York.

The morning a distraught mother comes into her office, Jessica would prefer to nurse her hangover and try to forget last night's poor choices. But something about Amber Randall's story strikes a chord with her. Amber is adamant that something happened to her teenage twins while they were visiting their father in the UK. The twins don't act like themselves, and they now have flawless skin, have lost their distinctive tics and habits, and keep talking about a girl named Belle. Amber insists her children have been replaced by something horrible, something "perfect."

Traveling to a small village in the British countryside, Jessica meets the mysterious Belle, who lives a curiously isolated life in an old farmhouse with a strange woman who claims to be her guardian. Can this unworldly teenager really be responsible for the Randall twins' new personas? Why does the strange little village of Barton Wallop seem to harbor dark energies and mysteries in its tight-knit community?

A mother's intuition is never wrong. And Jessica knows that nothing in life is perfect--not these kids, not her on-again, off-again relationship with Luke Cage, and certainly not Jessica herself. But even as she tries to buy into the idea that better days are ahead, Jessica Jones has seen all too clearly that behind every promise of perfection trails a dark, dangerous shadow. 

Breaking the Dark, the first book in the brand-new Marvel Crime series, introduces fans to a grittier, street-level side of the Marvel Universe, and will continue with original novels featuring fan-favorite characters like Luke Cage, written by S.A. Cosby, and Daredevil, written by Alex Segura.

Image for "The Perfect Marriage"

The Perfect Marriage

Over half a million copies sold: "A tantalizing premise and twists at every turn . . . a sizzling, masterful debut about betrayal and justice" (Samantha M. Bailey, #1 national bestselling author).

Optioned by Picture Perfect Federation for development as a film or TV series

Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. As a named partner at her firm, life is going exactly how she planned. The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He's a struggling writer who has had little success in his career and he tires of his and Sarah's relationship as she is constantly working.

Out in the secluded woods, at the couple's lake house, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers. But one morning everything changes. Kelly is found brutally stabbed to death and now, Sarah must take on her hardest case yet, defending her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress.

The Perfect Marriage is a juicy, twisty, and utterly addictive thriller that will keep you turning pages. You won't see the ending coming . . . guaranteed!

"Everything I want in a thriller. Sexy, shocking, and tense with an ending I never saw coming. Jeneva Rose is the queen of twists." --Colleen Hoover, #1 New York Times-bestselling author on You Shouldn't Have Come Here

"A twisty, compulsive book that will keep you reading all night! Fast-paced with crisp writing and an intriguing plot. Jeneva Rose is one to watch." --Samantha Downing, #1 international bestselling author of My Lovely Wife

"A book to be read in one gulp--this dastardly debut flies to a shocking reveal. I couldn't put it down; I had to see what happened. Twists galore." --J.T. Ellison, New York Times-bestselling author of Her Dark Lies

Pink cover

It Ends with Us

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING BLAKE LIVELY AND JUSTIN BALDONI! 

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Starts with Us and All Your Perfects, a “brave and heartbreaking novel that digs its claws into you and doesn’t let go, long after you’ve finished it” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author) about a workaholic with a too-good-to-be-true romance who can’t stop thinking about her first love.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. And when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life seems too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

An honest, evocative, and tender novel, It Ends with Us is “a glorious and touching read, a forever keeper. The kind of book that gets handed down” (USA TODAY).

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Hillbilly Elegy

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, NAMED BY THE TIMES AS ONE OF "6 BOOKS TO HELP UNDERSTAND TRUMP'S WIN" AND SOON TO BE A MAJOR-MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY RON HOWARD

"You will not read a more important book about America this year."—The Economist

"A riveting book."—The Wall Street Journal

"Essential reading."—David Brooks, New York Times

From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate, a powerful account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America’s white working class

Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The decline of this group, a demographic of our country that has been slowly disintegrating over forty years, has been reported on with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J. D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck.

The Vance family story begins hopefully in postwar America. J. D.’s grandparents were “dirt poor and in love,” and moved north from Kentucky’s Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually their grandchild (the author) would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of their success in achieving generational upward mobility.

But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that this is only the short, superficial version. Vance’s grandparents, aunt, uncle, sister, and, most of all, his mother, struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, and were never able to fully escape the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. Vance piercingly shows how he himself still carries around the demons of their chaotic family history.

A deeply moving memoir with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country.