A memoir set in the hills of Appalachia Kentucky that spans three generations of strong, "Hill women." As a graduate of two Ivy League schools, vice-chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party and numerous fellows and scholarships, Cassie Chambers shares her story, and the story of her mother, grandmother, and aunt, growing up in Owsley County, Kentucky. Chambers recounts stories of her childhood; spending time with her grandmother in Owsley County, while her parents attended college in nearby Booneville and how her "mountain women" grounded her in the ways of the hill, but gave her the wings and freedom to move beyond them as well. Through her memories of dirt floors, gardening, sharecropping, and family, Chambers shows the pridefulness of the Appalachian people. By ingenuity and plain grit, each generation of "hill women" works to make life better for the next generation.
Based on Chambers' accomplishments as a college student then attorney for Kentucky Legal Aid, she is determined to help create change for her community and state. The influence of her strong "hill woman" mother, the first in her family to graduate high school, then attend college, grandmother and aunt Ruth must have filled her with self-confidence and belief in the possibilities of a future outside Appalachia .rather than perpetuate the stereotyped illiterate "hillbillies" waiting around for the "draw."
Chambers shares some startling data throughout the book; not to garner sympathy, but as a way to show how a shift from poor to extreme poverty affects everyone left in these areas of Kentucky --- and that one thing impacts the other.
In the final chapter, Chambers states she hoped her writing process would result in finding answers to questions such as "What is the future of the Appalachian economy?" What should we do to move the region forward?" but still struggles with how to balance concerns between talking about problems the Appalachian area faces while highlighting strengths, recognizing the importance of tradition and supporting change.
Hill Women is not only a story of one determined person's story of success from poverty and adversity, but also reads like a lesson of how even the slightest changes in circumstances can shift a person (or town's) entire life.

To be totally honest, I was a little disappointed in this book. I learned a lot from “Hillbilly Elegy,” by J D Vance, and from the title and description I thought that “Hill Women” would be the same, but mostly about the women of Appalachia. Too much of this book was autobiographical in nature, and unfortunately dragged. Of course, the author had to write enough to make this book length, but people in their thirties are just not that interesting. I would have preferred to read more about other people. Those parts of the book where Chambers discusses the women of her family, or the cases she handled when she returned to Kentucky were far more interesting.

Cassie Chambers, although herself a graduate of Yale and Harvard Law School, comes from a very poor county in Kentucky. Her maternal family was hardworking but remained poor; her mother was the only one of seven siblings to graduate from high school, and go on to college. Chambers describes generations of women in her family with love and appreciation. She clearly sees the system which works against them, without glossing over the power of their good and bad choices. She does not leave out the men, but her focus is on the women, especially her maternal grandmother, her Aunt Ruth, and her mother, Wilma.

I was interested in Chambers’ discussion of contemporary politics, but I would have liked to have seen more discussion of the historic effect of politics on places like eastern Kentucky. I am thinking here of something along the lines of Michael Harrington’s seminal work, “The Other America.” It might have been beyond the scope of this book.

I do recommend this book, with the caveat about the autobiographical sections. It is an interesting and useful look at contemporary and historical problems with a section of the United States, and thus valuable. Chambers is an engaging writer, and an honest one, and I hope she writes another book when she is more seasoned.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.

”This holler feels like home, and this house feels like family. There are women’s stories here, stories of resilience, love, and strength. This community knows them well, but their echo hasn’t reached far enough into the outside world. Instead, these tales have ricocheted within the mountains, growing more faint with time. I want to tell these stories because they matter, because I’m afraid that they will be forgotten, because they have the power to make this community visible. As I stop my vehicle and walk toward the house, the memories wash over me like the sunlight on the mountain hills.”

Chambers returned to Owsley County, Kentucky – one of the poorest counties in the state as well as the U.S. - after being one of the few young women raised there who pursued an education after high school, her mother before her setting the example and encouraging her to pursue her dreams of experiencing life beyond these hills.

”I don’t have enough ways to honor them, these women of the Appalachian hills. Women who built a support system for me and for others. The best way I know is to tell their stories.”

A memoir of growing up in poverty, of the women who inspired her to reach for her dreams, to believe in her self-worth enough to graduate from Yale and Harvard Law, and has helped others along the way. She also includes her personal struggles to accept how each place had become a part of her, giving her unique perspectives that benefitted the people she has helped, perhaps more importantly these women struggling against the laws established in this very patriarchal culture that includes additional deterrents for women in particular: domestic violence and poverty, along with laws that have failed not only to protect them, but has penalized those seeking protection.

My father grew up in the hollers of West Virginia, and was lucky enough to recognize his desire to become a pilot at a very young age, and luckier still that his dream not only came true, but that he made a difference in airline safety, his passion. I’ve visited the small town where he grew up, met some of the people who were his friends, and been charmed and moved by the honest generosity of those I met, but it is still easy to see the depth of poverty that exists there, and the limitations it can present.

A nicely balanced glimpse at the lives of these Hill Women that offers insight into the struggles and problems unique to these communities while recognizing and appreciating the positive sides of their sense of community, as well. An inspiring read.


Pub Date: 07 JAN 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine / Ballantine Books through NetGalley

Destined to be the next bestseller relating to life in Appalachia, I loved this as much as Educated and Hillbilly Ellegy.

This is a powerful and thought provoking memoir. Ms. Chambers has crafted the story of her family in a way that will make you both laugh and cry. The strength of will that the women in her life display is inspiring for any woman out there that wants a better future. These women don't just settle for their circumstances but are forces for change if not for their own lives then for the lives of their children and grandchildren. Their focus is not on the problems of today but on the promise of tomorrow. I love memoirs like this because they not only remind me to be grateful for what I already have but give me the courage to go out and fight for what for myself and those that I love. The women of the Appalachians and fighters and givers. Don't pass this one up.

Hill Women
Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains


An enlightening and entertaining book of one woman’s journey out of the Kentucky mountains and back.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
HILL WOMEN is Cassie’s Chambers memoir tracing her own path out of and back into the Kentucky mountains. Cassie grew up in Owsley County, one of the poorest counties in Kentucky. Cassie use her own journey to break down the myth of the hillbilly and to illuminate a troubled region. Cassie wants to make sure no one underestimates the “fire, grace and grit” of the women that live in the Kentucky mountains.


Cassie’s Granny was a child bride who rose before dawn every morning to care for seven children. Granny’s two daughters took very different paths: strong-willed Ruth—the hardest-working tobacco farmer in the county—stayed on the family farm, while Wilma—the sixth child—became the first in the family to graduate from high school, then moved a hour away for college. Married at nineteen and pregnant with Cassie a few months later, Wilma beat the odds and finished college.

Cassie spent much of her childhood with Granny and Ruth in the hills of Owsley County, where she was raised with “hill women” values. Cassie went to an Ivy League college and graduated from Harvard Law. She ultimately moved back to help her fellow rural Kentucky women by providing free legal services.

REVIEW
HILL WOMEN was a delightful read that was both enlightening and entertaining. The writing was both passionate and immersing. It’s a well-delivered portrait of the culture of the poorest county in the country as well as how one can emerge from it. Cassie skillfully transports us to the hills of Kentucky and gives us a beautifully descriptive vision of the women that live there.

I appreciated her honesty in her writing about her feelings of the family she had left behind and of not fitting in at Yale and Harvard. I found the discussion of the divergent paths between she and her cousin intriguing I loved how, after many years of being away, she felt the desire to go back to Kentucky to help those in need. Most of all, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Cassie, her mother, Wilma, her Aunt Ruth and her Granny. These feisty hill women have already begun a charge for change in the hills of Kentucky.

CASSIE CHAMBERS graduated from Yale College, the Yale School of Public Health, the London School of Economics, and Harvard Law School, where she was president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. Chambers then received a Skadden Fellowship to return to Kentucky to do legal work with domestic violence survivors in rural communities. In 2018, she helped pass Jeanette’s Law, which eliminated the requirement that domestic violence survivors pay an incarcerated spouse’s legal fees in order to get a divorce. She lives in Louisville with her husband, Bryan and their son.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Ballantine Books
Published January 7, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Cassie's story centers around the second poorest county in the US, Owsley County, Kentucky. But her story doesn't end there. She left to pursue her education, attended multiple Ivy League colleges and graduated from Harvard Law School. Perhaps this is where her story takes the most compelling turn. Cassie could have gone anywhere, but she returns to Kentucky with a passion to help those just like her and her family.

I was so impacted by this book. I now live at the edge of Appalachia. My mom and her family are from the hills of West Virginia. I've never lived life in the mountains, but this book helped me understand why I've always been drawn to the mountains and why they have such an important place in my heart. Yes, the scenery is incredible, but the spirit of the people is where even deeper beauty lies.

Hill Women by Cassie Chambers could almost be a companion piece to the current Dolly Parton's America podcast. Both are about a woman growing up in Appalachia and overcoming obstacles to be a success beyond their own imagination. While Cassie may not be Dolly - with her own amusement park, multiple awards, and legacy, she is still a powerful and admirable woman.

Chambers tells the story of her life - growing up in poverty, where her parents would share a happy meal for dinner as a treat. She talks of the poverty of her town, of the lack of money, medical care, legal advice, food, basic supplies that many hundreds of families dealt and still deal with today.

As mentioned in the blurb for this book, this is a book for fans of Educated or Hillbilly Elegy. It's also a book for anyone who is looking for a little inspiration, to see how far one person can rise above their circumstances, and how they can continue to give back to the place that made them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the advanced copy of this book.

Powerful and thoughtful, this will expose you to women and a region that is often caricatured but not often explored from a serious perspective. Chambers is from a family of strong women- women who pulled themselves away from the dangers of Owsley County, Kentucky. Her mother, Wilma, the first in the family to graduate from high school, left Chambers with her grandmother and Aunt Ruth in order to finish her own college degree. Some might question this decision but this family is all about moving forward. Ruth was an amazing woman. Chambers herself ultimately graduated from law school- Harvard Law School no less- and turned around to come back to Kentucky to help others. The vignettes of the women she helps are terrific but the whole book is inspiring. Thanks to Netgalley of the ARC. While I'm often hesitant about reviewing memoirs, this is one that's truly inspirational.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Hill Women, Cassie Chambers writes about the women who live in rural Appalachia, the women in her family and in her town. Part memoir, part reflection on the perception and treatment of hillbillies in the mountains of Kentucky, Chambers' writing really worked for me. As I lived in rural North Carolina for over a decade, I connected with and understood a great deal of this book. While making these women sympathetic, Chambers writes honestly about her own life and her journey out of and back to Kentucky.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It took a deep dive into the lives of “Hill Women” and I couldn’t read fast enough. This topic is highly intriguing and so far removed from what I know as my own truth so it almost read as fiction. So interesting and I would highly recommend!

This was a beautiful tribute to the authors Appalachian ancestors and the women of Appalachia.

The author does a great job of portraying her family and other hill families in a non patronizing and loving way. She made me want to travel there and see some of these areas. I have always loved books set in the Appalachia but a lot of books put this community in a bad light.
I now understand a lot more about the culture and lifestyles.

I really enjoyed this book and hope the author continues writing.

Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains was a little bit different than what I expected it would be about. It was good with four stars from me.

I learned so much in this book, and I loved that it wasn't preachy, it was informative. The title Hill Women is perfect when explained in the book. I absolutely love the strong women in Cassie's life including her Granny, Aunt Ruth and her amazing mother. She never said negative things about the way of life for people in Eastern Kentucky/Owsley County, but she explained why there were challenges or what resources were lacking to cause those challenges and behaviors. Its amazing the Cassie had the opportunities to study where she did with her hard work and support of her parents, and also wonderful that she is using her strengths and abilities to help others in Kentucky without forgetting where she came from and the family members that supported her getting there. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for not only the opportunity to read this book but for putting this important story on my radar.

Cassie Chambers has led a rich and joyful life despite living in extreme poverty. Filling her days laboring in the tobacco fields, living in a particleboard farmhouse, yet she never felt deprived.
Cassie comes from a line of strong, independent and caring Appalachian mountain women who worked hard, took care of one another, their family and their neighbors. It is clear that Cassie is extremely appreciative of her inspirational ‘teachers’ and the values they taught such as the importance of education and generosity, building their lives around their children. An illuminating and fantastic memoir incorporating moving generational family stories.

will post links below closer to publication.

I received a free electronic copy of this memoir from Netgalley, Cassie Chambers, and Random House - Ballantine Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this work of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains. This is a memoir I am happy to recommend to friends and family. I recognize all of the women in this work - from right here in the foothills of the high plains desert. So do we all if we were raised by strong, stubborn women.

Cassie Chambers is very frank in her look back, giving us all the notion that fitting in, though she did it very well, is not always a good idea. Most of us were feeling our way blindly into the world had we but known it then. You are going to love these ladies. And like me, you will recognize your Mom, or an Aunt, or Great Granny. We fortunate ones can thank them for helping us along the road to life.

5 STAR BOOK REVIEW Hill Women by Cassie Chambers is a must read for 2020. Part memoir, part history lesson and part political statement, this book speaks to the heart of Appalachia and rural Eastern Kentucky with stories of growing up and outgrowing home then discovering home in a new, exciting way. Thanks to @netgalley, @randomhouse and the author for this advance copy for review. #cassiechambers #kentucky #appalachia #easternkentucky #berea #owsleycounty #hillwomen #southernlit

Cassie  Chambers is proof that a determined woman can do anything. Raised in Owsley, Kentucky by an entire family whose lives have been rooted deep in the Appalachians.  

Her grandmother had married and had seven children and she worked from sun up to sun down to put food on the table for her family. Her daughter Ruth was the best tobacco worker in the fields. Besting any man. Her other daughter, Cassie's mother, took a different path and while she married young, her family helped raise Cassie so her parents could get an education and get out of the cycle of poverty.

They did such a good job that Cassie followed their footsteps and ended up graduating with two Ivy League degrees. And while the opportunities were endless, Cassie decides to go home. She has seen what the courts do to women in the hills and she wants to help.

Owsley County is one of the poorest counties in Kentucky and the entire country. There is no more coal, no more tobacco, and yet these Hill Women are finding new ways to keep their families fed and healthy. These women are subjected to more domestic violence, lack of healthcare and education. 

This book broke my heart so many times. Even my husband was hooked on the story and ended up digging into the state and the county. I learned a lot and I felt humbled. This was a well researched and well-written book. I think everyone should read it!

NetGalley/January 7th, 2020 by Ballantine Books

Hill Women is a part biography, part autobiography, and part sociological look at the lives of a family and extended family in the deep hills of Kentucky Appalachia. It is eye-opening and fascinating, and the way the author weaves this all together is quite magical.

Cassie Chambers spent a lot of her youth with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in the hills of Owsley County, among coal miners and tobacco farmers. Poverty was common, as was lack of much formal education. Cassie’s mother, Wilma, escaped this cycle and became the first woman in the family to graduate from college, from Berea College, and it’s in Berea that Cassie lived when she wasn’t with Granny and Papaw. Her parents instilled in her the thirst for knowledge, and through luck, determination, and grit, Cassie graduated from Yale and Harvard Law School. The stark, soul-searching insights of Ms. Chambers into her own perfectionism, of not quite fitting in in the elite, privileged world of the Ivy League, and her conflicts between being one of “them” or someone educated but always attached to her roots, make her story all the more powerful.

After she became a lawyer, she was drawn back to the rolling hills of Kentucky, and eventually found a job with Legal Aid, working with women much like her own family.

It’s hard to describe the truly magical nature of this book. Writing a memoir is hard enough, but adding the socio-political details in the form of data and statistics, not just anecdotes, makes this more than a memoir. And the stories of her family when she was a child are a virtual biography of her relatives. While at times the transition between themes felt a bit awkward, overall this is a wonderful, happy/sad/hardship/gritty story of several generations, with most of the generations staying where they were born.

Highly recommended.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for a review copy.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book. The story Cassie tells is one of the best stories I have heard of the women of the hills. She carefully blends the characters in her family with their environment, with our times and lets the many strands each stand out, instead of the typical hillbilly stereotype one may think of when considering this area or just about any small rural area of the US.

That she tells the untold story of the women, one that I did not know, is important. Her journey, her fears, her courage all shine throughout and connect us to this place, these women.

I was also totally unaware of the challenges that she portrayed when working in the legal system, trying to help poor women to escape, to try to make changes. It was an awakening for me.

Thank you Cassie Chambers! I hope you continue to tell your story, your mom's, Aunt Ruth's and Granny's stories as you work to make life better for all- men, women and children- in the hills. Perhaps with some of the changes at the state level, things can improve.