Admiration for Charles Dickens and the Stigma of the Term 'Hillbilly'

The author expresses admiration for Charles Dickens and imagines his reaction to a future retelling of his work. She discusses the stigma associated with the term 'hillbilly' and how people from her region are negatively portrayed and looked down upon. She shares her personal experience of being ridiculed for her accent and cleanliness, highlighting the ongoing prejudice and bigotry towards hillbillies. The author wrote the novel to showcase the nuanced and honorable aspects of people from her region, aiming to challenge the negative stereotypes.