What 'Hillbilly Elegy' reveals about childhood, politics of Trump VP pick JD Vance

After Sen. JD Vance of Ohio became Donald Trump's running mate , his memoir skyrocketed to the top of Amazon's bestsellers list.

Vance published "Hillbilly Elegy" in 2016, right as the former president was gaining popularity. A personal story of how one man climbed from Rust Belt Ohio to Yale Law School − and now the vice-presidential nomination − became a textbook for pundits trying to understand a brewing angst among white, working-class voters.

Ron Howard later made the book into a Netflix feature film starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams.

Some Appalachians loathed "Hillbilly Elegy," prompting an entirely different book that served as a response to Vance's thesis. They argued it reinforced stereotypes about rural Americans and offered easy answers during Trump's first campaign.

The memoir thrust Vance into the national spotlight − and his celebrity only increased Monday when he clinched the Republican vice-presidential nomination.

"I want people to understand the American Dream as my family and I encountered it," Vance wrote in the book's introduction. "I want people to understand how upward mobility really feels. And I want people to understand something I learned only recently: that for those of us lucky enough to live the American Dream, the demons of the life we left behind continue to chase us."

What does 'Hillbilly Elegy' say about JD Vance's childhood?

Despite its political overtones, "Hillbilly Elegy" at its heart is a memoir. And Vance's allies say the lessons of his youth would serve him well in the White House.

"Having experienced that trauma in his own family will make him a better officeholder," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said. "My experience in life is that people who have suffering in their life end up being more compassionate and end up being better able, once they're in office, to relate to other people's struggles."

Vance was born in 1984, named James Donald Bowman after his father. His parents divorced soon after his birth, and when he was 6 years old, his father gave him up for adoption. That led to Vance's first name change: James David Hamel, the surname from his then-stepfather and the middle name a nod to his grandmother's brother.

Vance's grandparents − known to him as Mamaw and Papaw − stabilized an otherwise tumultuous childhood. He moved around Ohio and lived with different family members throughout his youth, including a brief reconnection with his father. When Vance lived in Preble County with his mom, he recalled punching his stepdad to break up a fight between the couple.

His relationship with his mother was particularly difficult. She became addicted to prescription drugs and later heroin. Police arrested her after she threatened to crash her car with Vance inside. After his Papaw died, Vance said he and his sister relied on themselves and each other, making Hamburger Helper or cereal for dinner each night. His grades dropped.

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When Vance's mom asked him for clean urine, his Mamaw insisted he move in with her.

"Those three years with Mamaw − uninterrupted and alone − saved me," wrote Vance, who took his grandmother's last name as an adult.

How JD Vance's worldview evolved

Vance went on to join the Marines Corps, attend Ohio State University, get a law degree at Yale − where he met his wife, Usha − and build immense wealth as a venture capitalist.

In "Hillbilly Elegy," he also assumed the role of social and political commentator.

Vance said people in his community weren't working, in part, because local manufacturing jobs evaporated. At the same time, he criticized his former neighbors for failing to take control of their own lives and careers. As a cashier in high school, Vance wrote, he resented both wealthy shoppers and food stamp recipients who he said "gamed the welfare system."

Some of the beliefs he espoused − particularly surrounding economic populism − offered a sneak preview of the policies he touts on the campaign trail and in Washington.

Then there's the reason many readers leaned on his memoir during the 2016 election. Vance mused at length about Middletonians who embraced conspiracy theories about Barack Obama and felt they couldn't relate to the president. He admitted to worrying about racial prejudice among his family and friends.

For these reasons and more, he argued to multiple media outlets, Rust Belt America saw an ally in Trump.

"This is deep skepticism of the very institutions of our society. And it's becoming more and more mainstream," Vance wrote. "We can't trust the evening news. We can't trust our politicians. Our universities, the gateway to a better life, are rigged against us. We can't get jobs. You can't believe these things and participate meaningfully in society."

If that line of thinking sounds familiar − a deep-rooted rejection of the establishment − it's because that's now a philosophy Vance openly embraces. Critics say his change of heart on Trump represented a seismic shift in his overall worldview, making him a different man from the one who authored "Hillbilly Elegy."

"He gained fame and wealth by disrespecting Southwest Ohio, and he made national headlines when he compared Donald Trump to Hitler during the 2016 election," Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Cincinnati, said. "The brand of politics Mr. Vance has practiced does not meet the seriousness of this moment."

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What 'Hillbilly Elegy' reveals about childhood, politics of Trump VP pick JD Vance