Hillbilly Elegy

asked Mamaw a question that had been
on my mind since she ordered Mom to
drive us home safely. I knew what she’d
say, but I guess I just wanted
reassurance. “Mamaw, does God love
us?” She hung her head, gave me a hug,
and began to cry.
The question wounded Mamaw
because the Christian faith stood at the
center of our lives, especially hers. We
never went to church, except on rare
occasions in Kentucky or when Mom
decided that what we needed in our
lives was religion. Nevertheless,
Mamaw’s was a deeply personal (albeit
quirky) faith. She couldn’t say
“organized religion” without contempt.