J. R. Jamison is a gay man in Indiana, his dad Dave a conservative hillbilly. As they travel to Missouri for Dave’s 55th high school class reunion, it is the height of the 2016 election. In the people they meet, J. R. tries to understand why they like and want to vote for Trump, including his own dad, while J. R. fears loss of his own rights if Trump is elected.

As a fellow Hoosier, I know Jamison’s pain of having family members who support Trump. I liked that he tries to see people as complex, rather than writing them off for having a different political view than he does. However, it also worries me for him that his family could support a candidate/party that would make Jamison ‘less than’ in our country. It’s a difficult road to take, and I enjoyed listening to Jamison’s thoughts on the matter.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book.

DNFed because the writing style was not for me. I do think everyone's story is worth telling and has an audience though. So I appreciated Jamison telling his story, even if it didn't mesh with my reading taste.

This is a difficult review to write but as a memior, this one didn't work for me. This review does not seek to minimize or invalidate the author's experience or feelings in any way.

The book is centers around a father and son road trip to a high school reunion in Mid-West America. The author is gay and has left his home state for a city life, and is seemingly happy. However, returning to his parents home is bringing up recollections and remembrances of the discrimination, intolerance, and violence that he experienced in the past. The problem for me was that there seemed to be little growth on behalf of the author. The author spends a LOT of time speculating on how people will treat him when he returns, but it never pans out. He leans heavily into mid-westerner stereotypes and failed to learn from any of it. There was a particularly offensive comment about a Latinx working class family in a diner. I felt like his father accepted his son but it never seemed good enough. The writing smacked of East or West Coast Elitism and it's really sad because this was a great opportunity for self-examination on the part of the author. There is no question that there is discrimination in this country, but biases can be found on both sides of the aisle and there were plenty to be found in this book. This had the potential to be a great, unifying story of acceptance all around but it just never got there, and as such, it feels like the story was written before it was ready.

I listened to the audiobook and, as much as I hate to say it, the author should not have read his own book. This story had a lot of emotion and nuance that the narration was not able to capture. This storytelling would have benefitted from a voice actor.

This memoir was an honest account of a gay son and his complicated relationship with his very conservative dad. Overall, this book has a great message for people finding themselves on opposite political lines and not understanding the other “side”. However, the amount of times Trump was mentioned in this book was too many. It felt repetitive for much of the book. Overall, I enjoyed the listen and I am a fan of the author’s message.

QUICK BITS
•Cultural divide
•Finding common ground

REVIEW
I am not one who normally gravitates toward memoirs, however being from a rural area and having my dad often be proud to be a self proclaimed redneck, this title caught my eye.

All in all, I really appreciated the conversation being had and the purpose it poses. Finding shared connection even in such divided and polarizing times.

Reading JR's experiences growing up gay in the country, leaving home, and returning while examining his life and his relationship with his father.

Although I do understand the major message of this book, I do think there needs to be a deeper exploration and understanding as it pertains to having dialogue with those with differing views.

One thing that made me uncomfortable is this idea that those who are racist, sexist, and homophobic are misunderstood—just as those they are oppressing.

This is a difficult subject matter to discuss and therefore I think parts of the wording/explanation should have been more intentionally done.

Yes, in the end learning to have conversations with those with differing opinions is key. However, there is no room for allowing bigotry to have a safe space.

In the end, those views have and will continue to lead to harm and oppression. And there should be no tolerance for that.

You cannot be bolstered by bigotry while also being a victim.

I appreciated this story and what it aimed to do (and to a great degree did accomplish).

RATINGS
6 Writing Style
6 Intrigue
7 Logic
6 Enjoyment
2 Impact Bonus
TOTAL= 25+2= 27/8= 3.38

2.00/5.00 Impact Rating
--There were parts of this book that will stick with me, mainly in the realm of keeping an open mind

3.50/5.00 Rounded Rating

As someone who has friends/family members not talking to each other after the 2020 election due to political beliefs, parts of this story made me emotional.

I loved listening to the journey of J.R. Jamison and his dad, Dave. Most of it takes place in 2016 when Americans are in a very heated political battle. J.R. and Dave try to put their differences aside while on a road trip in rural Missouri to Dave's high school reunion.

This is a story about family, life and love between a father and son but also the challenges both of them face when others challenge their concepts of right and wrong. I love how the bond of father and son is not broken due to political beliefs.

I would highly suggest listening to the audiobook that the author himself narrates.

4 stars

A unique memoir told by the author, J.R., as he joins his Trump-loving dad, Dave, to his class reunion miles and miles away from home. J.R. recounts his queer youth and struggles of being a gay child. This book is political in a sense where it highlights Trump’s presidency and the fear his election has on the author and other minorities, so keep this in mind if that may be a trigger for you.

Honest and well written, I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates queer literature, and especially memoirs.

(I received this audiobook ALC via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you.)

I love when a memoir takes me completely out of myself and shows me something 100% different from my existence, and J.R. Jamison's Hillbilly Queer does just that. Beautifully written, and beautifully performed by the author, the audio edition of Hillbilly Queer is an absolute treat.

Filled with interesting characters, Jamison's tale demonstrates that folks from all walks of life can coexist on this planet. With communication and tolerance, and a willingness to understand where people are coming from, Hillbilly Queer is a true lesson in acceptance.

We don’t have to agree on everything to live peacefully together. Thank you J.R. Jamison for sharing your lovely story.

J.R. Jamison's Hillbilly Queer is a solid entry into the post-2016 election/what is the world coming to? memoir collection and other book collections about this fraught time in history. While I enjoyed the premise of the story (Jamison takes a roadtrip with his Trump-supporting father in the midst of the 2016 election), I did think the story was light on insights. Jamison could have gone further in the story and revealed quite a bit more about his relationship with his father, and also discuss more about his relationship with his mother, which the reader only gets a fragment of information about in the memoir. The story essentially ends after the November election, but as anyone who lived through the last presidency can tell you, November is not when the story that serves as the backdrop for this memoir ends. All in all, I enjoyed the book, but I thought it could have been so much better.

Hillbilly Queer is the story of a queer man on a roadtrip to his conservative, small town father's high school reunion during the height of the 2016 election. The conversations and relationship are all too familiar to any queer adult with a conservative parent who at times feels like a complete stranger, given the severe ideological differences.

This was a sort of therapeutic read for me. While I do not think that the author's approach to his relationship with his father would work for everyone, I do think this will resonate with a lot of people whose relationships with their parents are still hanging somewhere on the fence.

Confronting, honest and thought provoking, Hillybilly Queer: A Memoir is an absolute must read.

Set in the lead up to the 2016 United States presidential election (the election that saw Republican Donald Trump become the 45th president), liberal queer J.R. Jamison takes an uncomfortable and confronting road trip with his conservative leaning father Dave to Dave’s 55 year class reunion in rural Missouri.

This trip is monumental for many reasons and mainly occurs because he’s trying to reconnect with his elderly father. Dave has always accepted his gay son J.R. however the last two decades there’s been a growing divide between the two.

The trip serves to highlight the stark differences in class, generations, experiences and beliefs between father and son.

Both men have complex histories and different experiences and ultimately even if they have different beliefs about (for example) who might best lead their country, there is a deep love between them. There’s a humanity that holds them together. They have the ability to listen, forgive and learn.

Having the authors authentic voice narrating the audiobook truly speaks to me and provides an extra special experience.

Interesting and touching memoir. Relatable to me as someone from the south. Read by the author, pleasant to listen to.

I received an advanced listening copy of Hillbilly Queer by J.R. Jamison through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and, here it is!
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I adored this memoir about a father and son as they go on a road trip together right before the 2016 presidential election in the USA. I really enjoyed following J.R., a queer man, and his dad, a hillbilly, spending time together, experiencing things together, and learning about one another.
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I loved the flashbacks that gave crucial context and understanding, I loved hearing about their different political views and I loved their different life views.
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My favourite thing about this book is how you can feel the love between these two, how they navigate their relationship whilst being pretty different, and how thought-provoking the story is.
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Thanks to OrangeSky Audio, NetGalley, and author Misha J.R. Jamison for this ALC to honestly review. Hillbilly Queer comes out on February 27th so mark it in your calendar and go get it then!

J.R. Jamison’s Hillbilly Queer is a memoir exploring pivotal moments in his life as a gay man and as the son of a conservative, midwestern man. The bulk of the story follows a trip J.R. and his dad take to his dad’s hometown in rural Missouri for a high school reunion. This trip takes place alongside the peak of the 2016 campaign for U.S. president. The long hours spent in the close quarters of vehicles, motel rooms, and one impromptu four-wheeler ride expose cracks in the seemingly solid foundation of J.R. and his dad’s relationship. Hearing his praise and support of Trump leads J.R. to question everything he thought he knew about his father. I think this is such a relatable experience for so many people. Especially those of us who live in rural, densely conservative areas. J.R.’s uncomfortable feelings toward his father’s beliefs force him to reckon with an essential question present throughout the book: How can he not accept his father for his beliefs when his father so easily accepted him for being gay? Outside of this question, this book explores issues of racism, classism, group think and homophobia. J.R. weaves in the story of his great grandma and grandpa. His great grandpa being white and his great grandma being Black and Native American. It was so interesting how his grandmother’s story of “passing” as white in a way ran parallel to J.R.’s own story of “passing” as straight. I say this because neither of them actually “passed”. Everyone in their communities called them out.  It was only those closest to them that insisted they were white and straight respectively. In a sense, the only people willing to see them for what they truly were were those who were willing to hate them for it. They were in such a hateful and confused society that those that loved them had to choose to not see who they really were to make loving them easier. It begs to question how different their lives would’ve been if they were taught to embrace these attributes instead of hiding them. How different might have J.R.’s dad been if he had grown up proud to have a Black great grandmother? How different might J.R.’s life have been if he had grown up in a setting where he was comfortable in his sexuality at a much younger age? (The nail polish story was so sad and beautiful and made me sob driving down the interstate.)  At its core, this is a story about seeing each other for everything we are and loving each other in spite of and because of it all no matter how hard that may be. Hillbilly Queer is a wonderful, thought-provoking memoir. This is definitely a story that everyone will interpret differently through their own lived experiences. There are so many other nuggets of truth and messily packaged life lessons hidden in this book. I encourage you to read it. (I had the audio version of this book which is read by the author. I highly recommend this version)

I found this book had some very interesting parts and some very predictable parts. Overall, I liked it though. It definitely made me pause and consider some things.

I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by the author. I love narrations by authors and I think it was very important for this book.

This memoir is about the journey a gay man takes with his father back to rural Missouri for his father's class reunion. They don't always see eye to eye and there were times when J.R. wasn't even too sure that his father really loved him. I think this trip was a journey for both of them towards finding that common meeting ground and the love of a father and a son.

I loved the honesty in this book, from J.R. trying not to voice his opinions about his father watching Fox News and being a Trump supporter, to his unwillingness to cry in front of his father when the dog he has had for many years dies. There are also the many hardships a gay couple faces anywhere and every day.

This book was a journey well worth taking.

Thanks to Orange Sky Audio and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

While, I normally don't listen to audiobooks I made the exception to listen to this one. I loved the story! Living in a rural area and LGTBQ friendly. I have been looking for books!

I actually didn't know who J.R. Jamison was before reading this book, but I really enjoyed his perspective on life, his family, and the political divide in America. Hearing about his relationship with his dad and the eventual decision to not vote for Trump was really eye opening for me. It made me self reflect on my own biases and personal opinions towards "the other side" and realize that they are just as human as I am and its okay for us to disagree, as long as it doesn't become hateful difference of opinion. I did think this moved a bit slow to start but found the latter half of the book to be very insightful and interesting. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hillbilly Queer by J.R. Jamison is like a conversation with an old friend, wherein they share their most personal and impactful life stories. Listening to this in audiobook format (narrated by the author) was a delight, as it offers a more personable experience. I would highly recommend this format to anyone.

The majority of the story takes place in 2016, during the Clinton/Trump presidential race, so this book is VERY political. Folks who want to avoid politics in their reading may wish to avoid this. Personally, I loved it, as I so happen to share Jamison's ideological and political beliefs... So yes, I'm biased. 😉

The whole thing was incredibly relatable to me, as I too have a father (the stepdad who raised me) who is my polar opposite in every way, and is very similar to J.R.'s dad but with a heavy dash of alt-Q-right. It has caused great tension in our relationship and within our family. I often wonder if we'll ever find common ground. Hillbilly Queer gave me hope that we someday might.

Note: the book contains a discussion guide, which would make it great book club pick!

Note: LOTS of potential triggers here. Be sure to check them out before reading if you're sensitive.

Great book! Thanks @netgalley and @orangesky for the gifted ALC in exchange for my honest review.

4 / 5 ⭐️‘s

“Hillbilly Queer: A Memoir” by J.R. Jamison

This is a memoir but also a story of a father son road-trip to attend his fathers school reunion.

I personally grew up in a very religious family who are very fond of Trump. So many parts of this story hit pretty close to home for me.

I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the author and was a great listen at 1.75x narration speed.

(Pub Date: 02/28/23)
This ARC (audiobook) was provided by the publisher via @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.