Hillbilly Elegy

could borrow money from the
grandparents. Indeed, I recall many
winter conversations in which Mom
pleaded with Mamaw and Papaw to lend
her money to ensure that their
grandchildren had a nice Christmas.
They’d always protest Mom’s
understanding of what made Christmas
nice, but they’d still give in. It might be
the day before Christmas, but our tree
would be piled high with the trendiest
gifts even as our family savings
dwindled from very little to nothing, then
from nothing to something less than that.
When I was a baby, Mom and
Lindsay frantically searched for a Teddy
Ruxpin doll, a toy so popular that every