Hillbilly Elegy Novels & Stories

“You deserved better than this.” We lit the pyres at dusk. The pack gathered in silence, watching flame consume the fallen. There was no music. No chanting. Just the soft crackle of fire and the quiet sound of grief. Then I raised my head. And howled. Long and low and full of everything I couldn’t say. One by one, they joined me. Silas. Mara. The warriors. Even the young. It was not a cry of victory. It was a promise. We would not forget.

And you can forget about a comfortable retirement! I stood in the doorway, coldly watching this scene unfold. My mother-in-law's hand trembled. She whipped around and met my eyes. Her face went deathly pale as she fumbled to end the call, her lips quivering. "Graham... You... Why are you home?" She stood frozen in place. She darted her eyes away, looking like a child caught doing something wrong. I looked at her, feeling a pang of bitterness. I let out a soft sigh. "Grace, even though Arya's gone, I've always treated you like my own mother."