Hillbilly Elegy

jumped into the backseat, thinking that if
I could use two seat belts at once, I’d be
more likely to survive the impact. This
infuriated her more, so she pulled over
to beat the shit out of me. When she did,
I leaped out of the car and ran for my
life. We were in a rural part of the state,
and I ran through a large field of grass,
the tall blades slapping my ankles as I
sped away. I happened upon a small
house with an aboveground pool. The
owner—an overweight woman about the
same age as Mom—was floating on her
back, enjoying the nice June weather.
“You have to call my mamaw!” I
screamed. “Please help me. My mom is
trying to kill me.” The woman