On the Tuesdays of June 25, July 30, and Aug. 27, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Reverend Dr. Anna Pinckney Straight, pastor of the Old Stone Presbyterian Church, will lead a book group focused on Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy.

Edited by Anthony Harkins and Meredith McCarrolland, the book attempts through prose, poetry, and photography to look at why so many residents of Appalachia had such a strong reaction to J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy. The book also strives to ask bigger questions and offer a greater vision with the goal of “inspiring a fierce hope for Appalachia.”

These conversations will be held at A New Chapter Bookstore in downtown Lewisburg (922 Washington Street, West). A New Chapter will have copies of the book available for purchase. The group is open to anyone who is interested in the book or the topic.

Those who are interested in attending do not need to have read the book in advance of the first meeting, but they may want to listen to the Appalachian Reckoning episode of West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Inside Appalachia podcast (released on Apr. 5, 2019). They may also want to read the New York Times’ Review written by Dwight Garner, published on Feb. 25, 2019.