Hillbilly Elegy

She saw churches as breeding grounds
for perverts and money changers. And
she hated what she called “the loud and
proud”—people who wore their faith on
their sleeve, always ready to let you
know how pious they were. Still, she
sent much of her spare income to
churches in Jackson, Kentucky,
especially those controlled by Reverend
Donald Ison, an older man who bore a
striking resemblance to the priest from
The Exorcist.
By Mamaw’s reckoning, God never
left our side. He celebrated with us
when times were good and comforted us
when they weren’t. During one of our
many trips to Kentucky, Mamaw was