I think it is impossible to read this memoir and not try to compare to Educated. Though they both show the struggles of a woman coming from a background of poverty that ended up thriving and getting elite education, the comparisons might end right there. Cassie talks about the powerful women from the Appalachia - that stay there maybe because they don't even know something else exists outside. And how they survive and raise generation over generation of other men and women, that will also stay there and help get the region growing, or leave to get a better education. Cassie chose an intermediate path - she left to study (and even went to Yale Law School), but chose to come back to give back and help other hill women in their law struggles. Overall, it is a nice read, that is not trying to show the Appalachia is worse or better than anything, but just portray how it actually feels like growing up in those mountains.

This is a personal story of a family filled with strong, hardworking women. Their journey illustrates the history of Appalachia. Reading it reminded me a lot of Hillbilly Elegy from a female's perspective. Great story!

🏞️BOOK REVIEW🏞️

Hill Women by Cassie Chambers
Pub Date: January 7, 2020
304 pages

-DESCRIPTION-
A true story of Cassie Chambers, and the women in her family, growing up and loving in Owlsey County, one of the poorest counties in Kentucky.

-THOUGHTS-
1. I can understand why so many compare this to Hillbilly Elegy, however, this book is about strength and perseverance in spite of extreme poverty. Where Hillbilly Elegy was like a badly written research paper, this book is about Cassie and the profound sense of pride she has for Hill Women.
2. I really loved that the author showed all the bits and parts of each woman. Nothing was glossed over. Nobody was perfect, nor did she hide their imperfections.
3. I think it's so easy for so many of us to judge. We do it constantly....and we especially judge those we see as less than. And let's face it, we use money (or lack thereof) to be a big determiner of who is less than. Here is another book that we can add to a growing list that has us stopping our judgements and prejudices in their tracks.

-RATING-
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 stars
I recommend this book.

-SIMILAR RECOMMENDED READS-
Maid
Unfollow
The Sound of Gravel

I was expecting this book to be about the author’s mother and grandmother—their lives, their community, how they made do with declining tobacco prices and the decline of the coal industry.

And it kind of is—but mostly this is the author’s memoir (and she in her 30s). She is very proud of herself and while she certainly has accomplished things and does good work—she brags about it. A lot. It’s tiring. Scholarship to fancy high school! Wellesley not good enough, Ivy League is better! Harvard Law! Head of legal aid at Harvard! World traveler! Met the queen! And since she was raised right (because Appalachia!) she goes back to Kentucky to work legal aid there. Yada yada. I don’t think she was raised to be such a braggart.

For being such a world traveler, the author doesn’t seem to have traveled much in her own country. She thinks that most people in Owsley County being on wells and worried about pollution is a sign of Appalachia being neglected—but that’s true of rural areas all over this country. The same for lack of cell service in the hills—that’s true of hilly/mountainous terrain all over this country. And people all over this country, rural and urban, work long hours at hard jobs, and care for their families and neighbors, and struggle to make ends meet. Many struggle with transportation issues due to car expenses and lack of public transportation. Unfortunately these issues are not unique.

She briefly touches on disability payments (do they not get regularly investigated there?), opioids, and Trump. I would have liked more.

Really though, the book I want to read is a biography of her mother. The first in her family to finish high school, finish college, move to a larger town, marry a man not from the mountains. Instead she is a chapter or two and reappears regularly. I want her full story, the daughter that fulfilled her dreams despite her father’s guilt trips, thanks to her mother’s and sister’s support—and her own strength of will.

This delightful book is about the very strong women of Appalachia, Owlsely County in Kentucky. But it is also about the child of one of those women and her incredible success getting to college for more than one degree. And her eventual work as a Legal Aid lawyer and staunch defender of the often poor women in the community she grew up in and near.
Cassies success is wonderful...but so is the success of her mother which ultimately put Cassie on the path to her eventual work and authoring of this book. All of which is a very strong tribute to Grandma, who was not a lawyer or teacher, but a young women that married an older man and the worked backbreaking hours and jobs for the duration of their lives. People that did not have the luxury of a vehicle or cell phone, limited job opportunity and a whole lot of "we will figure it out" attitude.
I can't say enough or articulate well enough how much I enjoyed this book. Cassie tells a great story. She captures the life of these remarkable women in such a way that the reader can really feel as of they know the person they are reading about.
Please read this. As much as it is a tribute to Kentucky women, it is also a tribute to women in general.

Hill Women is very much Cassie Chambers memoir of her life, her family and the women of Owsley County, the poorest country in Kentucky, the second poorest in the United States. It is exactly the sort of place J. D. Vance was writing about when he wrote Hillbilly Elegy, poor, with the Appalachian culture and history. That’s where the similarity ends.

First, Chambers centers the women of Owsley County, primarily the women in her family. More importantly, Chambers grew up in Kentucky and lives there to this day. She didn’t just visit during summer vacation and look back from an ivory tower. She grew up in Berea, a college town, so she didn’t actually live in Owsley County, but she was frequently there to visit her aunt and grandmother. She is proud of her people and the strength and fortitude of the women. This is no story of escaping poverty by rejecting your roots. Her mother went to college, too, thanks in large part to her own mother’s and aunt’s hopes for her. She writes about their self-sufficiency, their endurance, and generosity. She writes about how families help other families, working together to eke out a living in a place America likes to mock.

She also writes about how some of the seemingly poor decisions are perhaps not really decisions at all. For example, she jogs everywhere, except when in Owsley County where the roads are too narrow and there is no cell service in case she runs into trouble. She eats healthy, but there she has never eaten a salad as the produce in the stores is limited. Then there is the environmental contamination, particularly of groundwater, contributing to poor health.

Her father was a professor and her mother finished college, so she came from a family that believed in education. She spent two years at a boarding school called United World College, then on to Wellesley, and then Yale and Harvard Law. Her education seems like a road from alienation to acculturation, from being an outsider to fitting in. She devotes a chapter to each school before returning home where she went to work in family law.

She describes many of the injustices of the law. Justice may be blind but it has a calculator and poor people are often deprived of access to the legal help they need and punished by the legal system just for being poor.



Hill Women works best as a memoir of Chambers’ family. Not only are the women of her family indomitable and memorable, but you can also feel her love for them on every page. The stories of the women she helped as a lawyer will outrage readers, the injustice and how poverty can deprive people of justice. I will confess, though, that as much as I came to admire Chambers and her family, I occasionally lost interest in the story, particularly in her college years. I don’t believe a memoir needs to reveal great truths or change my worldview, but the idea that the daughter of a college professor and Ph.D. managed to go to an Ivy League college and do well is not particularly shocking.

I received an e-galley of Hill Women from the publisher through NetGalley

Hill Women at Penguin Random House
Cassie Chambers author site
Why should a woman have to pay legal fees for a man who beat her? op-ed by Cassie Chambers
Justice is not blind to your finances op-ed by Cassie Chambers

Having grown up on the edge of the Appalachian mountains, I may be slightly biased. Having known these Hill Women, having been raised by them, yes I am biased. I just loved that this book gives us a view that not many see. These strong women, who may have had really hard upbringings, no education, worked hard all their lives, yet still have an indominable spirit and a sense of family that no one could possibly understand unless you've lived it. The strength these women, much like my grandmother and her mother before her, is untouchable. The perseverance and love that can be felt in everything they do, just is so well written in this book.

This touched me in way you cannot imagine. Your family and your home is a cherished thing and Cassie knows this. 4.5 huge stars from me. So well written and truly a wonderful reading experience.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read and review.

Fascinating look at the women of Appalachia. It is beautifully written and moving. The struggles they went through mixed with the joy of motherhood. It is a great read.

Cassie Chambers is a Yale and Harvard graduate and currently an attorney whose family settled in the Appalachian Hills on Owsley Kentucky. Hill Women is part homage to her family, and the strong women who shaped her into who she is today. The Owsley Kentucky town of Cow Creek is poverty stricken, and hasn’t changed much over the years. Cassie tells stories of her beloved Grandmother, Mother and relatives who worked hard in the tobacco fields, and other odd jobs to make ends meet. The people of Owsley made a way for themselves when no one else would. Her Grandma was the type of woman that would give to others even if that meant having nothing for herself.

I enjoyed reading about Cassies memories of visiting her Aunts and Grandparents as a child, running amuck, working in the kitchen and listening to tall tales. I was also intrigued of the story of her Mom with the help and support of her family became the first to graduate college. Her Granny, Pawpaw and Aunt Ruth dropped out of school at a young age and spent the rest of their lives working hard to provide for the family. The relationship between Cassie and her mother seemed at times strained, as she left her behind a lot while trying to fulfill her dreams of stability and education. I didn’t get the feeling that Cassie was resentful as she had that void filled a thousand time over with her Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents.

This story reminded me of my Grandma who too did not have a formal education, but worked and retired after 30 years working for Canon Mills. So many good lessons can be learned from our elders. It just proves that money isn’t everything but family is. The richness you can have with family is worth its weight in gold. Part of me felt sad reading this, because the family unit has changed so much over the years for so many reasons.

In the other half of the book Cassie discusses her college years and subsequent career as a domestic violence advocate/attorney for people in rural communities. It’s great that she chooses to devote her career to help those that can’t help themselves.

There are talks of politics and her affiliation with the Democratic National Party. She discusses the work she did to bring awareness to the importance of voting for the citizens of Owsley County. If you aren’t a staunch political proponent, you may be off-put by these chapters.

In all, I enjoyed Hill Women. I did wish there were more stories about her Grandma and Aunt Ruth. They were such strong, colorful women and I’m sure there were so many more stories to share.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ballentine Books and Cassie Chambers for providing Hill Women in exchange for my honest opinion.

I literally jumped for joy when I received this Netgalley because its subject matter is near and dear to my heart. Having lived in Appalachia, specifically Kentucky, all my life, I completely identify with and understand the difficulties facing our people. Chambers writes from the heart as she beautifully weaves the experiences of strong women in her life and expresses the deep values they hold in order to navigate their world. These women literally provide the backbone of stability for their families and communities and offer a constant and viable lifeline for all that are reached by them. The many factors affecting the families in this region today are difficult to navigate and present obstacles daily in which many are forced to survive. This book presents a real problem in a beautiful manner in which one is offered a glimpse into what many of us already know to be true. Thank you, Ms. Chambers for shedding light on a subject in a non-condescending and supportive way that is sure to touch the hearts of all take time to listen! Highly recommend!!

I did actually like this book. It was similar to Educated but not quite up to that level. Perhaps I should say it was written with a different flair than Educated. I did, however, enjoy it and found many parallels to my own growing up.

Some of my most formative experiences occurred while serving the people of the Appalachia mountains in Kentucky and Tennessee. As part of church group that took high school aged youth to work on making homes "warmer, safer, dryer", I grew to love the people and places of the mountains. Those summer weeks drew me to Hill Women by Cassie Chambers. Chambers writes about her life growing up in Kentucky with a strong attachment to her extended family in a small mountain town in Owsley County. She shares the lives of her maternal grandparents, her mother's siblings, and the strong bond between her mother and herself. Through her writing, I could see the porches that she described, I could smell the morning air, I could hear the accents of her people. Her raw honesty about the dilemma of poverty and drug abuse in the mountains hurt my heart. A good book stays with the reader after reading the last page. Hill Men makes meI long to return to the mountains again.

Hill Women has so far been compared to Educated, and to Hillbilly Elegy. I haven’t read the latter (now added to my to-read list), but read and loved the former and can agree that there are elements in it of Westover’s brilliant work. However, Chambers’ work differs in that, while her upbringing is unique, it was surrounded in family love. Chambers tells the story of her mother, wanting more for herself than the poverty of the remote Kentucky community she lived in, and pursuing a higher education, while retaining her love of her family and the place she grew up.

Chambers grew up a bit more removed from the hill country of her mother in that her parents settled in a slightly bigger town with more educational and employment opportunities. However, she gets to experience some of this in the best kinds of memories with her grandmother and aunt who watch her while her parents work and attend college for their higher education. In getting a taste of this life, she comes to appreciate the strength of the community and the perseverance of the “hill women” in her family, who face poverty and hardship head on.

Hopefully this will not in any way detract from the quality of the writing of this book, but for some reason, this memoir reminded me a bit of Sweet Home Alabama, though obviously in the mountains rather than the south. There was the tug of war with each generation leaving the smaller town, but the concept of having roots with those wings. Chambers was daring – going away to a private boarding high school/post high school program in New Mexico for a new experience, then on to Ivy League colleges and traveling to open up her world. But in those experiences she also found herself and realized that her roots could be something to be proud of rather than to hide. She then went on to plant herself back in the community she had launched from and to help others in her practice of non-profit family law, looking to honor the spirit of the community while at the same time helping it to move forward.

A truly fantastic tribute to life in Appalachia and to Chambers’ own remarkable life and career. A must read.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this memoir from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A great inspirational story about woman growing up in poverty and how they overcome it. Worth a read

Cassie shares her life experiences growing up in an area of extreme poverty and lack of services. She writes about the women she grew up with, sharing their stories of triumph and heartbreak. Cassie goes to school to become a lawyer, returns to her home town and begins to help the women there with a range of difficult topics including custody battles, domestic violence, divorce, access to services and more. A beautiful memoir! Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately drawn in by the descriptions of a simple life of the hill people in the Appalachian Mountains. Hill Women is set in the 50's to present and is about the hard working, real women of a poor Kentucky area. They make do with what they have and strive to make a better way for their family. Cassie Wilson, born amongst these strong, proud women, strives to make a better life for herself and later for others. She goes away to school and returns, as a lawyer, to help the people from her community. If you enjoyed Educated by Tara Westover, then I think you will enjoy this book.

Past. Present. Future… Those three things can seem like three completely different worlds in your life, can't they? And maintaining a connection between those three -- as much as you love and honor every single one of them -- It can be elusive at times. Especially as you're moving forward in your life and you want to achieve dreams that you have.

And even more… Especially if those dreams take you very, very far away from home.

“Hill Women” by Cassie Chambers is a wonderful book written by an Appalachian lawyer who earned two Ivy league degrees. And then, chose to return to her Eastern Kentucky home to set up shop.

Inspired by these strong hill women who raised her, she pays tribute to these women's stories and discovers a renewed connection to her own past... Also exemplifies a refreshingly new understanding of how to deal with today's divisive national politics... And completely breaks down the myth of what you might think the Appalachian culture is -- illuminating a very creative, very active community leadership often spearheaded by the women.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

I must tell you that when I first looked at this book, I did not think I was going to like it. But I had committed to reading it. So I was determined to move forward… and I was really glad I did.

When I got into this book and started reading — my opinion really changed quite quickly to: I really like this book! Even more, I was actually really loving this book!

So why was it that my first impression was that I didn't think I was going to like this book? I really gave that some thought. And, I realized that I definitely had some predetermined opinions about what I thought the Appalachian community is.

But, what this book did to me very quickly is... This book took me — and my predetermined opinions — out to the woodshed and gave me a good ol’ Appalachian whoopin’! Because I absolutely loved this book!

And let me tell you why...

WRITING STYLE:

Hill Women by Cassie Chambers is written with a really pure, simple nuance, which is not an easy thing to do. To walk that microscopic line of skillful simplicity without the structure of the book becoming too amateurish -- and the structure of the book just falling all to pieces.

So, brava to Cassie Chambers!

Why is that important? Because that beautiful simple tone — it literally speaks perfectly to your heart. It builds a connection.

To bridge any chasm of disconnection, it can be quite effective to speak to each other in pure, simple language. Without any kind of pretension on top of that.

Why? Because it inspires trust. To speak purely. To speak authentically. To speak simply — is incredibly exposing. And that, my friends, really takes courage. It's courageous. It's authentic.

That courage to be authentic — It encourages you to drop your guard. It encourages you to stop defending your point of reference just for the sake of defending your point of reference. To really give yourself the opportunity to take in the experience that you're having.

Well, this writing style starts to work on you like a snake charmer! Where your own memories are drawn out as you follow the journey of the author. Although your experience may be far removed from the Appalachian mountains, you find yourself living the story through your own experience. Creating a common bond between your story and this community’s story.

Countless times as I was reading this book, my own personal memories would come up… just like a snake being lured up out of the basket by a snake charmer. Memories that I had not thought of in years. And what was even more amazing is that now I was embracing these memories from this new lens of understanding.

Isn't that what reading is all about?!

Finding that amazing book where the author does not say — “This is what you should think about this. Period.”

But actually just gives you this peek inside this window. Lets you watch the story unfold. And gives you room to actually discover something for yourself. From your own experience that you can relate to. Where the author actually trusts you to think for yourself…. Gadzooks! That's an idea!

LASTING IMPRESSIONS:

When I first picked up this book, I admittedly had a predetermined opinion of whether I would even relate to this story. But what I found was…

• An absolute roadmap to help me connect my own experience of tradition while following my dreams in my life that actually do take me very far away from home.

• Some simple and really effective tools in creating connection in discussing and understanding different viewpoints.

• An assurance to be okay with just simply not having all the answers yet. Or perhaps never!

• And finally… The commitment to always honor those who came before me, who live within me and who will be influenced by me.

Past. Present. Future…

Hill Women by Cassie Chambers. Pick it up. You're going to love it.

_______________________________________


All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Denise Wilbanks | T.I.M.E. at www.thisismyeverybody.com ... Including my free resources for book club support, reading and DIY home ideas inspired by each recommended book to support you in bringing your favorite book to life in your life and home…


You can see my full review and resources for Hill Women by Cassie Chambers at https://www.thisismyeverybody.com/books/hill-women-cassie-chambers


✨😎✨A big thank you to Cassie Chambers, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in my review are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was mediocre about this book when I first saw it- the cover isn't overly interesting nor did the title grab me. I like a good autobiography however and thought the summary had promise so I was glad for the opportunity to read Hill Women. The story was easy to get in to, but sometimes became confusing in its flow. I felt like I was listening to stories being told at a family reunion, where one story would sometimes sidetrack into another. I did get a great perspective of life in the Hills- the struggles, worries, and also strengths of the people I was inspired by the dedication and persistence it took for the author and her mother to leave the familiar in search of a better education and better future. I loved her grandma that pushed and fought for them to have these privileges that she herself could not have. I found their stories to be honest, touching, and inspiring. I did begin to lose interest however as the author progressed her stories into her college experience. It's amazing the education she was able to get, but I didn't enjoy reading about it or about her following law career as much as I enjoyed the first half of the book. Still a nice story, just didn't hold my attention the whole way through.

Really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the way the book portrays the story around the hill woman and how she over came a difficult life.

Don't even think you don't need to read this book because you've read enough memoirs and enough about 'hillbillies'. Cassie Chambers gives the reader a full and beautiful description and perspective on growing up in Appalachia in the late 1970s-80s and maturing into a woman who maintains her mountain roots although she has lived in the 'bigger' world.