Hillbilly Elegy

objectively terrible person by almost
any standard. But Mamaw respected his
loyalty and the fact that he would go to
any length to protect the honor of his
family. Though he murdered countless
enemies and drank excessively, the only
criticism she ever levied against him
involved his infidelity. “He’s always
sleeping around. I don’t like that.”
I also saw for the first time
Mamaw’s love of children, not as an
object of her affection but as an observer
of it. She often babysat for Lindsay’s or
Aunt Wee’s young kids. One day she had
both of Aunt Wee’s girls for the day and
Aunt Wee’s dog in the backyard. When
the dog barked, Mamaw screamed, “Shut