But Vance’s family roots extend back to Jackson, Ky., where his grandparents, "Mamaw" and "Papaw," were born, and it’s from there that Vance draws his cultural identity. Hillbilly Elegy is set ...
whom he called Mamaw and Papaw, were from Jackson, Kentucky, a city of around 2,100 people in the Appalachian region. In "Hillbilly Elegy," Vance recalled visiting his extended family in Jackson ...