Demon Copperhead
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- Create Date：2022-10-19 10:51:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Barbara Kingsolver
- ISBN：0063252015
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Summary
"Kingsolver is a writer who can help us understand and navigate the chaos of these times。" --Minneapolis Star Tribune
From the New York Times bestselling author of Unsheltered and Flight Behavior， a brilliant novel which enthralls， compels， and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero's unforgettable journey to maturity。
"Anyone will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out， win or lose。"
Demon Copperhead is set in the mountains of southern Appalachia。 It's the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer， with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair， a caustic wit， and a fierce talent for survival。 In a plot that never pauses for breath， relayed in his own unsparing voice， he braves the modern perils of foster care， child labor， derelict schools， athletic success， addiction， disastrous loves， and crushing losses。 Through all of it， he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities。
Many generations ago， Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society。 Those problems have yet to be solved in ours。 Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel， but he provided its inspiration。 In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South， Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens' anger and compassion， and above all， his faith in the transformative powers of a good story。 Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys， and all those born into beautiful， cursed places they can't imagine leaving behind。
From the New York Times bestselling author of Unsheltered and Flight Behavior， a brilliant novel which enthralls， compels， and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero's unforgettable journey to maturity。
"Anyone will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out， win or lose。"
Demon Copperhead is set in the mountains of southern Appalachia。 It's the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer， with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair， a caustic wit， and a fierce talent for survival。 In a plot that never pauses for breath， relayed in his own unsparing voice， he braves the modern perils of foster care， child labor， derelict schools， athletic success， addiction， disastrous loves， and crushing losses。 Through all of it， he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities。
Many generations ago， Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society。 Those problems have yet to be solved in ours。 Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel， but he provided its inspiration。 In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South， Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens' anger and compassion， and above all， his faith in the transformative powers of a good story。 Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys， and all those born into beautiful， cursed places they can't imagine leaving behind。
Reviews
Summer
，
Demon Copperhead is a modern day version of David Copperfield but instead of being set in Suffolk， it is set in the mountains of Southern Appalachia。 We are introduced to Damon， who is soon known as Demon， who reflects on his life and misadventures。 We follow Demon who is born in poverty to a teenage drug addicted mother， to growing up and dealing with an abusive stepfather， to living as a various foster homes as an orphan， and so much more。 It’s been over 20 years since I read David Copperfield Demon Copperhead is a modern day version of David Copperfield but instead of being set in Suffolk， it is set in the mountains of Southern Appalachia。 We are introduced to Damon， who is soon known as Demon， who reflects on his life and misadventures。 We follow Demon who is born in poverty to a teenage drug addicted mother， to growing up and dealing with an abusive stepfather， to living as a various foster homes as an orphan， and so much more。 It’s been over 20 years since I read David Copperfield but the story all came back as I read Barbara Kingsolver’s newest work。 The similar situations that Demon finds himself in compared to Dickens original， is nothing short of brilliant。 I’m not sure that any author aside from the great Kingsolver could even remotely attempt to pull this off and succeed。 But with all of that being said， you do not have to have read David Copperfield to enjoy Demon Copperhead but readers who have， will appreciate this retelling a but more。 The story is told in a tone of lighthearted liveliness。 At times I found myself laughing out loud uncontrollably and at other times I braced myself for tears。 Demon is such a lovely character and I cared so deeply for him。 Demon had such a difficult life and overcame so much and even though he was always a realist， he still kept a positive attitude。 I had so much love for not only Demon but so many of the sun characters especially Angus and Aunt June。 The story wrapped up perfectly with a delightful and satisfying ending。 Demon Copperhead addresses several social issues in particular addiction。 Kingsolver devolves into how big pharma mislead doctors into prescribing OxyContin to patients telling them that the drug is not addictive which as we all now know resulted in damaging so many lives and resulting in the opioid epidemic。 Another issue that is addressed is how corporate America took advantage of the poor people in Appalachia through coal。 These companies left the people of Appalachia with little choice but to become coal miners then putting them in dangerous and life threatening jobs with little pay and ultimately leaving the Appalachian people in poverty and without any education or job opportunities。 I listened to the audiobook version of Demon Copperhead and it was read by Charlie Thurston。 Thurston brought so much life into Kingsolver’s tale and did an excellent job narrating。 Many thanks to Libro Fm， and Harper Audio for the gifted copy！ *Note:As a Kentuckian， the Appalachian people depicted in Demon Copperhead is very inaccurate and stereotypical。 Kingsolver who is also a fellow Kentuckian used these ‘hillbilly’ stereotypes purely for entertainment reasons。 I have yet to meet an Appalachian who resembles anything like the characters depicted in this book。 。。。more
Angel
，
Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors and David Copperfield one of my favorite books so I was beyond excited to get to read Demon Copperhead。 Kingsolver does Dickens' story so much justice while also a heartbreaking tale of life in Appalachia during the opiod epidemic。 I also noticed a little hint of Shuggie Bain which was 5 stars for me in 2021。Full disclosure， I am at about 67% but feel confident giving this book 5 stars on publication day。 It's a big book， but it means you get t Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors and David Copperfield one of my favorite books so I was beyond excited to get to read Demon Copperhead。 Kingsolver does Dickens' story so much justice while also a heartbreaking tale of life in Appalachia during the opiod epidemic。 I also noticed a little hint of Shuggie Bain which was 5 stars for me in 2021。Full disclosure， I am at about 67% but feel confident giving this book 5 stars on publication day。 It's a big book， but it means you get to see the main character grow up and also so much more。 Highly recommended。Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Vivienne
，
“First， I got myself born。 A decent crowd was on hand to watch， and they’ve always given me that much: the worst of the job was up to me， my mother being let’s just say out of it。”My thanks to Faber and Faber for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Demon Copperhead’ by Barbara Kingsolver。 Also， to The Pigeonhole for hosting an online group read。 “First， I got myself born。 A decent crowd was on hand to watch， and they’ve always given me that much: the worst of the job was up to me， my mother being let’s ju “First， I got myself born。 A decent crowd was on hand to watch， and they’ve always given me that much: the worst of the job was up to me， my mother being let’s just say out of it。”My thanks to Faber and Faber for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Demon Copperhead’ by Barbara Kingsolver。 Also， to The Pigeonhole for hosting an online group read。 “First， I got myself born。 A decent crowd was on hand to watch， and they’ve always given me that much: the worst of the job was up to me， my mother being let’s just say out of it。” - ‘Demon Copperhead’ by Barbara Kingsolver。I found this epic novel a phenomenal reading experience and it is one that I expect will be quickly hailed as a modern classic。 As the title suggests it is a modern retelling of Charles Dickens’ ‘David Copperfield’ and addresses similar themes。In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia， Damon Fields is born to an addicted teenage mother。 He quickly gains the nickname of Demon and Copperhead is added as it was his deceased father’s nickname: “one of Mom’s bad choices … was a guy called Copperhead。 Supposedly he had the dark skin and light-green eyes of a Melungeon， and red hair that made you look twice。” About his nickname he quips: “You can’t deny， it’s got a power to it。”Demon is blessed with plenty of charm， a quick wit， and a fighting spirit - all of which he will need in order to survive what life has in store for him。 In this area of the country institutional poverty is the norm and the opiate crises is growing out of control。There is no doubt this is a harrowing read though there are lighter moments。 While I haven’t read ‘David Copperfield’， I had some awareness of its characters and themes。In an essay following the main text titled ‘An Ethereal Visit’ Barbara Kingsolver talks about her stay at a house that had been Dickens’ seaside residence in Broadstairs and how the inspiration came for this novel in the middle of the night seated in the study where Dickens had written ‘David Copperfield’。 I expect that ‘Demon Copperhead’ will be featured in 2023 literary awards and also be popular in reading groups as it provides plenty of scope for discussion as well as being a well written and engaging read。I have purchased its unabridged Audible edition as I plan to revisit Demon and company via this format in the near future。Highly recommended。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
NO SPOILERS:I may be a little biased here because Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favourite writers and having followed her on social media for a few years， I’d say she’s also one of my favourite people。 But， in all honesty， it’s hard for me to write a review which does this book justice。 It is simply perfect。Demon Copperhead is a re-write of sorts of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield， in which Dickens made clear the social disadvantage experienced by the poor of Victorian London。 Barbara Kings NO SPOILERS:I may be a little biased here because Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favourite writers and having followed her on social media for a few years， I’d say she’s also one of my favourite people。 But， in all honesty， it’s hard for me to write a review which does this book justice。 It is simply perfect。Demon Copperhead is a re-write of sorts of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield， in which Dickens made clear the social disadvantage experienced by the poor of Victorian London。 Barbara Kingsolver makes it clear that in contemporary America nothing has changed。It is written in the first person， which I always like， and Demon’s voice never falters （of course it doesn’t， this is Barbara writing！） and I felt I came to know him completely。 His hopes， his setbacks， his loves， his triumphs， heartbreak…all is laid very bare and is very raw。 This is typically skilled writing and worth every word。There are two things which really stick with me from this book; how hard it is to be seen and how hard to leave behind all you have ever known。“No credit given for all the extra miles that take you nowhere。”“People want somebody to kick around， I get that。 But why us？”It becomes so clear why and this book should be on every syllabus。On a lighter note， Uriah Heep becomes U-Haul。。。blooming brilliant！Thank you to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for the ARC of this book which I have voluntarily reviewed。 。。。more
Maret
，
Set in southern Appalachia， this book follows Demon Semen’s life。 He was born to a teenage mother who was struggling with an alcohol addiction and to a father who died before he was born。 His life was harsh from the beginning and it got even worse after his mother married an abusive and bully of a man。 Living in poverty and around people with the drug addictions， Demon finally saw the light for a better life。 Will he take a chance to change his life？The author vividly captures subjects of peopl Set in southern Appalachia， this book follows Demon Semen’s life。 He was born to a teenage mother who was struggling with an alcohol addiction and to a father who died before he was born。 His life was harsh from the beginning and it got even worse after his mother married an abusive and bully of a man。 Living in poverty and around people with the drug addictions， Demon finally saw the light for a better life。 Will he take a chance to change his life？The author vividly captures subjects of people living in poverty， describes in detail foster home hardships， as well as struggles with drug addiction。 Very nicely written but the story didn't resonate with me。 Very sad and depressing。Thank you to HarperBooks for providing me with an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
Roslyn Lindsay
，
Barbara Kingsolver has based this book on David Copperfield by Charles Dickens which， in turn， was based on Dickens own experience of poverty and the effect it has on children and their future。This novel is set in the Appalachian mountains and tells the story of Demon Copperhead born to a single mother， who is in and out of rehab， dead father and living in a trailer。Demon's story takes him through extreme poverty， an abusive step father， foster care， exploitation， success on the football field， Barbara Kingsolver has based this book on David Copperfield by Charles Dickens which， in turn， was based on Dickens own experience of poverty and the effect it has on children and their future。This novel is set in the Appalachian mountains and tells the story of Demon Copperhead born to a single mother， who is in and out of rehab， dead father and living in a trailer。Demon's story takes him through extreme poverty， an abusive step father， foster care， exploitation， success on the football field， addiction and lost love。Any combination of the above would finish most people but， then， they don't have the survival instincts of Demon。The book is well written and the author shows an understanding of the lost youth we still find in our society。 Sadly， not much has changed since Dickens' day。The writing is gritty and， sometimes， hard to read but like Dickens， Barbara Kingsolver shows that amongst all the despair and wretchedness， humanity can find a way through。I was thoroughly captivated by this book and would thoroughly recommend it。 。。。more
PottWab Regional Library
，
A
Maureen
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Demon Copperhead entered the world in a single trailer， born to a single mother who hadn’t a clue how to look after him - nor did she have the means。 The southern Appalachian mountains of Virginia is where he took his first breath - a place of dire poverty， though most local folk were in the same boat， so it was pretty normal。 Demon’s mum though had additional problems， and that meant even less of the basic needs for the two of them。 Thank God for good neighbours。I won’t go into the sy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Demon Copperhead entered the world in a single trailer， born to a single mother who hadn’t a clue how to look after him - nor did she have the means。 The southern Appalachian mountains of Virginia is where he took his first breath - a place of dire poverty， though most local folk were in the same boat， so it was pretty normal。 Demon’s mum though had additional problems， and that meant even less of the basic needs for the two of them。 Thank God for good neighbours。I won’t go into the synopsis as this is a lengthy （over 600 pages） and eventful novel。 However， this is a tale of love and the need for love， it’s about dreams and anger， hate and pain， and what really stands out is how the opioid crisis is responsible for many of those bad feelings， and demonstrates how it wrecks the lives that might otherwise have climbed out of that daily grinding poverty， perhaps realising those long held dreams and ambitions。The journey for Demon Copperhead is long and eventful， （epic is the best way to describe it）。 The writing is so beautiful - exquisite even， but it takes the reader to places so dark， depressing and dangerous with its intimate detail， that you wonder why you find such beauty in it。 But it’s there on every page， in every event and every crisis - harrowing yet uplifting。 Has to be one of the standout books of the year - it is stunning！*Thank you to Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for my much appreciated ARC。 I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange * 。。。more
Zarina
，
3。5 starsFull review on my blog: http://www。pagetostagereviews。com/202。。。Damon Fields， also known as Demon Copperhead because of his rusty hair， is born at the tail end of the 1980s to a junkie mother in a trailer in Lee County， Virginia。 He has a rough start in life but it's nothing compared to what's ahead of him。 After a reasonably quiet early childhood， only having to deal with his mother's addictions， an abusive stepfather comes into the picture and it's the beginning of a rollercoaster rid 3。5 starsFull review on my blog: http://www。pagetostagereviews。com/202。。。Damon Fields， also known as Demon Copperhead because of his rusty hair， is born at the tail end of the 1980s to a junkie mother in a trailer in Lee County， Virginia。 He has a rough start in life but it's nothing compared to what's ahead of him。 After a reasonably quiet early childhood， only having to deal with his mother's addictions， an abusive stepfather comes into the picture and it's the beginning of a rollercoaster ride in the foster care system。 He's moved from home to home， being neglected， used， and forced to work much more than his fair share from too early an age。 He meets a range of dubious characters that make up the most seedy side of Lee County， and even those that seem caring at first often have a hidden agenda。 The novel asks the question: with drugs， death， and deprivation all around him， is it possible for Demon to defy the odds and break out of the cycle of addiction？ I thought I'd read David Copperfield， but while reading this retelling – which shifts the story from Victorian England to the American South – I didn't recognise the modern takes on classic characters， nor did the plot progression feel familiar。 And honestly， I think that was probably for the best。 As it meant less focusing on trying to remember how the story would end， or spending time comparing author Barbara Kingsolver's characters to those of Dickens， and instead getting to experience it all for the very first time。 And what a ride it was。 I am not American， and I'll fully admit I had no idea that the opioid epidemic was so huge and took place so recent。 It's absolutely shocking and horrifying。 Seeing the epidemic develop through the eyes of a child hits even harder。 There was no chance for Demon to avoid the inevitable， despite his best efforts。 What was especially difficult to read was how some of those around him， who had a slightly better start in life and a stronger support system， still fell victim to abuse and addiction。 No one was safe or strong enough to defy the odds。 Now， I have never been to Lee County and I do not know the Appalachian at all。 Maybe there really is no escaping。 But I did feel at times that when the story couldn't possibly get any worse， it did – just to make a point。 This almost became unrealistic。 I fully understand that Kingsolver is lifting the curtain on widespread substance abuse and inequity。 Showing it's near impossible for those born amidst this to avoid falling into the same patterns as those around them， but surely *someone* could've caught a break along the way？ But they didn't。 I'm not saying the book should have been more light-hearted or happily-ever-after， as that's clearly at odds with the difficult subjects at the heart of the story。 However， it did start to feel extremely one-sided， not showing the full spectrum of life in Lee County。 Maybe this is truly what it's like， but in novel form it felt like too much at times – especially given its length （560 pages can pack an awful lot of death and despair）。That said， while Demon Copperhead is difficult to read due to immense hardships of what the characters go through， it's also hugely gripping。 Demon's voice is compelling， regardless of his state of mind， and as a reader you cannot help but root for him to catch a break in life， even if it seems in vain。 And while most people around him were absolutely terribly human beings， there are a few gems hidden within the pages。 The lights within the darkness， if you were。 Tommy， Angus， June， and Annie in particular。 They are the people that bring hope， not enough in my honest opinion， but they were there; just a sprinkling of them。 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is not an easy read， but it's an incredibly important one。 Shedding much-needed light on a terrible crisis that is continuing to sweep across America to this day – with those in desperate need of help not getting it。 Witnessing it all through the eyes of one young person， Demon， makes an abstract concept such as "opioid epidemic" more realistic and hits so much harder。 I hope stories like these help bring these issues more to the forefront of those that can actually make a difference in the US。 We need more compassion， care， and support。 Especially for real-life Demons。 。。。more
Laura Hamilton
，
This is a modern re-telling of Dicken's "David Copperfield" but I don't think you need to have read the original to read this。Kingsolver sets this version in modern day Virginia and neighbouring states in the Southern US amidst the prescription and illegal drugs epidemic created by Oxytocin。This was a much more challenging read than the original， perhaps due to a combination of it being modern and the life events for "Damon Fields" or "Demon Copperhead" as he is nicknamed are so much more horrif This is a modern re-telling of Dicken's "David Copperfield" but I don't think you need to have read the original to read this。Kingsolver sets this version in modern day Virginia and neighbouring states in the Southern US amidst the prescription and illegal drugs epidemic created by Oxytocin。This was a much more challenging read than the original， perhaps due to a combination of it being modern and the life events for "Damon Fields" or "Demon Copperhead" as he is nicknamed are so much more horrific than in Dicken's tale。This was beautifully written， very colourful characters， his friend Maggot was particularly memorable， which I think helped keep me reading through the various tragic situations。I think this will be one of my books of the year， and will no doubt be a popular read， possibly a modern-day classic。With thanks to the author and The Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read ahead of publication。 。。。more
Verity Halliday
，
Demon Copperhead is a modern day retelling of David Copperfield， transplanted to rural Appalachia。 I don’t think I’ve actually read David Copperfield， although I know the rough story， so Demon’s story kept me guessing even though many of the major plot points map on to the Dickens story pretty exactly。 Kingsolver really captured the rural poverty and hopeless nature of opioid addiction and this had the effect of humanising and highlighting the plight of the real people who are now living this re Demon Copperhead is a modern day retelling of David Copperfield， transplanted to rural Appalachia。 I don’t think I’ve actually read David Copperfield， although I know the rough story， so Demon’s story kept me guessing even though many of the major plot points map on to the Dickens story pretty exactly。 Kingsolver really captured the rural poverty and hopeless nature of opioid addiction and this had the effect of humanising and highlighting the plight of the real people who are now living this reality in the USA， without ever feeling self-pitying or whiny。A recommended （but long and satisfying） read， whether you know the Dickens story or not。 。。。more
Amanda Taft
，
“Demon Copperhead is set in the mountains of southern Appalachia。 It’s the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer， with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-coloured hair， a caustic wit and a fierce talent for survival。 In a plot that never pauses for breath， relayed in his own unsparing voice， he braves the modern perils of foster care， child labour， derelict schools， athletic success， addiction， disastrous loves， and crushing losses。 Throug “Demon Copperhead is set in the mountains of southern Appalachia。 It’s the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer， with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-coloured hair， a caustic wit and a fierce talent for survival。 In a plot that never pauses for breath， relayed in his own unsparing voice， he braves the modern perils of foster care， child labour， derelict schools， athletic success， addiction， disastrous loves， and crushing losses。 Through all of it， he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favour of cities。Many generations ago， Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society。 Those problems have yet to be solved in ours。 Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel， but he provided its inspiration。 In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South， Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens’ anger and compassion， and above all， his faith in the transformative powers of a good story。 Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys， and all those born into beautiful， cursed places they can’t imagine leaving behind。”I read this book on the Pigeonhole app， one stave per day over 10 days， commenting along with other readers。 This book resonated with me for personal reasons and for that reason I found it quite a difficult read; it really tugs at your heart strings。 I found myself wanting to jump into the book and save that little boy。 I had just read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens prior to reading this book and it was interesting to see the parallels between the books be it the storyline， characters or even some direct quotes。 Although this is a modern day take on a Victorian storyline， it is sad to see that for some children， not much has changed and inequalities are still rife。 。。。more
Ash Houghton
，
This was a truly beautiful， thought provoking book with a MC full of resilience。 This did take me a little bit of time to get into and had a slow start， which is why I gave it 4 stars but I truly enjoyed this overall。
Jennie Godfrey
，
I can remember reading The Poisonwood Bible and being mesmerised by it。 That was 24 years ago now。 I had the same experience with Demon Copperhead and then some。 It’s as near perfect as you can get for me。 This re-telling of David Copperfield， set in an opioid hit town in the US is just incredible。 It tells the story of a time， and while swathes of the US， through one boys eyes and is as personal and universal as the original。 There aren’t enough superlatives。 My book of the year。
Kathryn
，
This is a wonderful novel - tragic and comic and what you would expect from Kingsolver combined with a twist of Dickens。 Reading this novel again proves that over the centuries many things never change and the David and Demon both struggle through life with people to help and hinder along the way。 It is an important novel in the context of the emerging awareness of the opioid crisis and as important a social commentary as was Dicken;s Copperfield in its day。Deserves to become a classic - thank This is a wonderful novel - tragic and comic and what you would expect from Kingsolver combined with a twist of Dickens。 Reading this novel again proves that over the centuries many things never change and the David and Demon both struggle through life with people to help and hinder along the way。 It is an important novel in the context of the emerging awareness of the opioid crisis and as important a social commentary as was Dicken;s Copperfield in its day。Deserves to become a classic - thank you NetGalley for the ARC 。。。more
Gail Danks
，
This really wasn’t for me at all。 I couldn’t get into it
Alison Alice-May
，
This is a contemporary retelling of Dickens’s David Copperfield。 It is not a book for the faint hearted as it delves into heart breaking situations。 What is most frightening is the similarities between Victorian England and its treatment of abandoned children and modern day America with its inequalities and deprivations。 I enjoyed the mirroring of characters from Dickens within the story。 Such a clever concept。 The story is set in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia， real red neck and hillbill This is a contemporary retelling of Dickens’s David Copperfield。 It is not a book for the faint hearted as it delves into heart breaking situations。 What is most frightening is the similarities between Victorian England and its treatment of abandoned children and modern day America with its inequalities and deprivations。 I enjoyed the mirroring of characters from Dickens within the story。 Such a clever concept。 The story is set in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia， real red neck and hillbillies territory， where people are sneered at and ridiculed。 The countryside made use of its people to mine the land， then abandoned them with no prospects。 It became a goldmine for army recruitment as there were few other options for its young。 A national opioid crisis resulted from prescription pill pushing as young people tried to sell their way out of dependency。 The book starts with Demon being born in a trailer to a young mother who herself was an addict。 In a dreadful， dangerous move， Demon’s mother marries a brutally violent man who soon makes Demon’s life a living hell。 Ending up in the foster system， Demon becomes a slave to a farmer who has no interest in feeding him， but enjoys thrashing him。 He is kept away from school to work cutting tobacco plants， his only solace the other young people in a similar position to him。 Demon ends up with a family who treat him no better than a dog。 Despite being paid by the state to look after him， Demon is expected to work after school and at weekends。 Demon is working among trash which he has to sort。 He changes completely into a child that does not speak， a child who is ostracised by other children as he stinks。 Demon realises he is worthless， his only hope that he has a future。 When his circumstances eventually improve， Demon finds it difficult to cope as he has no skills due to his past trauma。 His next carer tries to make a football player out of him， but when an injury threatens to ruin his future， Demon is left with little resources to fight an opioid addiction of his own。 This young boy is the epitome of resilience。 He has fought hunger， neglect， addiction and despair。 His life has been truly heart breaking。 However there have been supportive women throughout his life。 His grandmother Betsy， his art teacher Annie， his “sister” Angus and the always and forever supportive June。 I loved the part when Demon read Dickens in an English class and noted that Dickens really understood how kids got screwed over， again and again and no one cared。 This book is a rage against contemporary America and it’s failings。 It is difficult to read when Demon’s life is bleak and unrelenting。 The despair lodges in your gut as you read， as a way out looks impossible。 However， the book is hopeful and thought provoking in the end， and once it is over it gives much food for thought。 This one doesn’t go away quietly。 。。。more
Karen Bullock
，
A coming of age story about a boy with a distinctively different name to match his very different appearance。Growing up in a place known as “the holler” leads most people to believe that they’ll either live and die there or decide to haul up and move away。The bluntness of the story telling is refreshing， while life around their neck of the woods is scripted as low， poverty level; the snarky sarcasm as regaled by Demon’s storytelling brings about humor that could only come from the mouth of a you A coming of age story about a boy with a distinctively different name to match his very different appearance。Growing up in a place known as “the holler” leads most people to believe that they’ll either live and die there or decide to haul up and move away。The bluntness of the story telling is refreshing， while life around their neck of the woods is scripted as low， poverty level; the snarky sarcasm as regaled by Demon’s storytelling brings about humor that could only come from the mouth of a young teenage boy， whose just trying to survive。This is my first time reading this author and enjoyed her regaled tale。In places it does seem a bit long winded， which is why I have only given 4stars on the rating， as well as the mass introduction of characters， their relations and the various nicknames which was confusing at times。 。。。more
Bienzrw
，
This book pulls you into the head of Demon Copperhead and doesn't let you even look away for over 500 pages。 And despite the pain and desperate poverty of the child， the adolescent， and the young man， his ability to keep fighting for his right to live and for his humanity always gives you some hope for something good to emerge ultimately。There were many times I had to walk away from this book for a little while， but there was never any question about coming back。 With every Kingsolver book， I al This book pulls you into the head of Demon Copperhead and doesn't let you even look away for over 500 pages。 And despite the pain and desperate poverty of the child， the adolescent， and the young man， his ability to keep fighting for his right to live and for his humanity always gives you some hope for something good to emerge ultimately。There were many times I had to walk away from this book for a little while， but there was never any question about coming back。 With every Kingsolver book， I always learn something--often many things--and this one is no exception。 The darker side of child protective services， the roots of the opioid crisis， and the swath that it cut through certain parts of the country are laid out clearly， as is the poverty experienced in rural Appalachia。 Demon Copperhead is recommended reading for everyone I know。 。。。more
Nicola Mackenzie-Smaller
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Pretty certain this is a contender for my book of the year but be warned， it’s a gritty， uncomfortable， often heartbreaking read。A modern retelling of David Copperfield， Demon is a child born to an addict mother in a trailer park in Appalachia， at a time when drug companies are starting to flood his rural community with prescription painkillers。 Left an orphan he experiences the worst of the foster care system before possible salvation comes through sport。 What keeps him going through some horri Pretty certain this is a contender for my book of the year but be warned， it’s a gritty， uncomfortable， often heartbreaking read。A modern retelling of David Copperfield， Demon is a child born to an addict mother in a trailer park in Appalachia， at a time when drug companies are starting to flood his rural community with prescription painkillers。 Left an orphan he experiences the worst of the foster care system before possible salvation comes through sport。 What keeps him going through some horrific times is a kind of inner determination and the belief in the power of storytelling， You don’t have to have read David Copperfield， although picking out the parallels is fun。 What is certain is that the poverty and misery in Dickens’ original novel have echoes in modern society， which made me heartbroken and furious in equal measure。 The writing is superlative and Demon’s journey is one in which you can become deeply invested。 Read with The Pigeonhole。 。。。more
Peter Willoughby
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I loved this book， little realising that it was a modern rendition of David Copperfield。This version is set in recent Virginia， an area of the world I know virtually nothing about。I would normally say here that I loved Barbara Kingsolver's characters， all the plots and trials and tribulations of the main character， his friends and acquaintances。I have to admit that I was shocked and disappointed， with myself， when reading the accompanying essay to this book and finding out that I had failed to a I loved this book， little realising that it was a modern rendition of David Copperfield。This version is set in recent Virginia， an area of the world I know virtually nothing about。I would normally say here that I loved Barbara Kingsolver's characters， all the plots and trials and tribulations of the main character， his friends and acquaintances。I have to admit that I was shocked and disappointed， with myself， when reading the accompanying essay to this book and finding out that I had failed to associate the book and its characters with David Copperfield。The above means that I now have to say that I loved the way that the author rethought and reworked the characters and actions into modern equivalents of the Dickens book and characters。The author says that David Copperfield is her favourite Dickens book。 I have to admit that I have a preference for a Tale of Two cities， although I can accept that David Copperfield was quite probably Dickens' best book。I learnt so much from reading this book， and although as with Dickens it is a rare fish that can say that they enjoyed all of the book， with so many unpleasant things happening， I really enjoyed the overall story， and loved the book on the whole。It would be fitting to think that this book could and should become a modern classic， perhaps read in all schools。Many thanks to the author for a splendid story and my thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for honest review。 。。。more
Rachel Dixon
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Let the child tell the story… Demon Copperhead will be one of my books of 2022。 David Copperfield reimagined in twenty first century Appalachia。 The same heartbreaking social injustice。 Superb writing to keep you reading。 “Dickens for the opioid generation。” Published on Wednesday 📖
jean
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I love Barbara Kingsolver's writing and her ability to inhabit characters and make them really matter to the reader。 This was used to great effect in this book which was desperately sad， but the author managed to make me keep returning for the possibility of a glimmer of hope and maybe even redemption。 I hadn't realised until the end that it was a contemporary take on David Copperfield， which made me feel even more sad as， although the books are based in different countries in different centurie I love Barbara Kingsolver's writing and her ability to inhabit characters and make them really matter to the reader。 This was used to great effect in this book which was desperately sad， but the author managed to make me keep returning for the possibility of a glimmer of hope and maybe even redemption。 I hadn't realised until the end that it was a contemporary take on David Copperfield， which made me feel even more sad as， although the books are based in different countries in different centuries， their portrayal of generations of lost children hasn't really changed。Thank you Ms Kingsolver， may those in power hear your truths and act on them Thank you to netgalley and Faber and Faber for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
Pip
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I read David Copperfield just before starting this。 I think that made the story all the more powerful because I was aware of how cleverly Barbara Kingsolver had utilised the plot and characters to create a whole new story。 Such a very different story， but keeping to the Dickens' tradition of highlighting social injustice。 I learnt a lot about America - in the present and how the past has led to today's issues。 Having said that， you do not need to know anything about David Copperfield to enjoy th I read David Copperfield just before starting this。 I think that made the story all the more powerful because I was aware of how cleverly Barbara Kingsolver had utilised the plot and characters to create a whole new story。 Such a very different story， but keeping to the Dickens' tradition of highlighting social injustice。 I learnt a lot about America - in the present and how the past has led to today's issues。 Having said that， you do not need to know anything about David Copperfield to enjoy the story of Demon Copperhead！ It is a harrowing read but features a lot of eye-opening moments and ends with a more hopeful outcome for some of the key characters。 I wish it may have the sort of impact that Dickens' novels did in Victorian times。 。。。more
Stephen Dilley
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'Demon Copperhead' is a powerful and angry novel about the intergenerational trauma caused by the opioid crisis in rural Virginia。 The narrator Damon （universally known as Demon） grows up in a trailer with his mother who is an addict until social services intervene send him to various foster homes where he experiences hardship， violence and neglect。 His luck seems to change when his eccentric grandmother arranges for him to live with the coach of a leading high-school football team where Demon m 'Demon Copperhead' is a powerful and angry novel about the intergenerational trauma caused by the opioid crisis in rural Virginia。 The narrator Damon （universally known as Demon） grows up in a trailer with his mother who is an addict until social services intervene send him to various foster homes where he experiences hardship， violence and neglect。 His luck seems to change when his eccentric grandmother arranges for him to live with the coach of a leading high-school football team where Demon makes a name for himself as a footballer and discovers a talent for drawing， but a painkiller prescription after a football injury sparks his own battle with addiction。 As the title hints at， Kingsolver uses the structure of Dickens' 'David Copperfield' but updates the story to the modern-day Appalachian mountains。 This works surprisingly well because of Dickens and Kingsolver's shared concern with poverty， social injustice and the mistreatment of children。 As Demon says of Dickens， "seriously old guy， dead and a foreigner but Christ Jesus did he get the picture on kids and orphans getting screwed over and nobody giving a rat's ass。 You'd think he was from round here。" No prior knowledge of Dickens' novel is required but for those who do know it it there is an added enjoyment in seeing familiar characters in new guises - for instance， the Micawbers become Demon's foster parents the McCobbs， using their DSS payments to make ends meet， and the oleaginous Uriah Heap becomes U-Haul Pyles， the slimy assistant coach to the high-school football team。 Because of the subject matter， the novel is pretty hard-hitting; it is not just Demon and his mother who are affected by addiction but pretty much every family we meet。 The first third or so of the novel is fairly relentless in its descriptions of the childhood traumas experienced by Demon; there is some respite from this in the middle but the final third also makes for deeply harrowing reading。 In many ways， this novel feels like a companion to Patrick Radden Keefe's 'Empire of Pain' which exposes the role of the Sackler family and their company Purdue Pharma in the opioid epidemic。 Here we see the devastating consequences laid bare in the ruined lives of whole generations。 What makes the novel bearable is Demon's narrative voice which is lively， witty and full of pluck even in the darkest moments。 In addition， Kingsolver never allows us to forget how many characters care deeply for Demon - his grandmother Betsy Woodall and her brother Mr Dick， his teachers Mr Armstrong and Ms Annie， his fellow foster-child Tommy Waddles， and above all his childhood neighbours the Peggot family。 Kingsolver has made it clear that she is writing about her own people in this novel。 and her immense love for them blazes forth from every page。 。。。more
Libriar
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This book is a significant time investment - not only is it long， every word Kingsolver writes is essential to the book so there is very little that you can skim through - but it is absolutely worth it。 This book dives deep into poverty， foster care， and the opioid epidemic in the Appalachian region of Virginia。 Although the topic is depressing， Kingsolver is a master at educating her readers about a topic while also getting them to care deeply and ultimately open their eyes and possibly change This book is a significant time investment - not only is it long， every word Kingsolver writes is essential to the book so there is very little that you can skim through - but it is absolutely worth it。 This book dives deep into poverty， foster care， and the opioid epidemic in the Appalachian region of Virginia。 Although the topic is depressing， Kingsolver is a master at educating her readers about a topic while also getting them to care deeply and ultimately open their eyes and possibly change their thinking。 Demon Copperhead is Kingsolver's best work since The Poisonwood Bible。 ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley。 。。。more
christopher king
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（Read on The Pigeonhole platform。）Like its literary counterpart David Copperfield， Barbara Kingsolver’s novel is social commentary cloaked in an account of a boy growing up and surviving in abject poverty。 Her main target is the pharmaceutical industry （specifically Purdue Pharma， also examined in ‘Dopesick’， a journalistic account of the effects of the over prescription of synthetic opioids with the towns of Appalachia）。 She scores heavily in her description of a drug-addicted community， the m （Read on The Pigeonhole platform。）Like its literary counterpart David Copperfield， Barbara Kingsolver’s novel is social commentary cloaked in an account of a boy growing up and surviving in abject poverty。 Her main target is the pharmaceutical industry （specifically Purdue Pharma， also examined in ‘Dopesick’， a journalistic account of the effects of the over prescription of synthetic opioids with the towns of Appalachia）。 She scores heavily in her description of a drug-addicted community， the moral， physical and financial ruin drug abuse can cause。 Her account is not all doom and gloom。 Demon， her central character， who provides the voice through which the story is told， is a survivor against all the odds。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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Read this book。 Set in the Virginia Appalachians， it's the story of Damon Fields， aka Demon Copperhead， who is orphaned at the age of 10 after being born on the floor of a trailer to an addict mother who loved him but couldn't help herself。 Yes， it's a contemporary version of David Copperfield and fans of that novel will see small echoes here not only in the nightmare of Demon's life but also in small things like the names of some of the characters。 And most of all， in his distinctive and amazin Read this book。 Set in the Virginia Appalachians， it's the story of Damon Fields， aka Demon Copperhead， who is orphaned at the age of 10 after being born on the floor of a trailer to an addict mother who loved him but couldn't help herself。 Yes， it's a contemporary version of David Copperfield and fans of that novel will see small echoes here not only in the nightmare of Demon's life but also in small things like the names of some of the characters。 And most of all， in his distinctive and amazing voice。 While his neighbors， the Peggots include him in their rangy family as much as they can， they don't take him in when his mother dies， leaving him to the foster care system that sees him placed first on a tobacco farm and then with a family that leaves him to sleep in a dog's room。 The Peggots loom large- his best friend Maggot， who is different， and Jane， the daughter who got away and became a nurse- but so do the boys he met on the farm， especially Fast Forward， the star quarterback。 If there's a bright spot in Demon's life， it's Annie， who teaches art， and， later Angus， the daughter of the high school football coach who takes him in。 This large and sprawling， est intimate tale， holds a lot of horrors， especially with regard to opioid addiction but no matter how awful things get （and they get very bad） Demon keeps going， even as he too becomes addicted。 This is not a fast read0 the language and the storytelling demand your respect and attention。 But most of all， it's Demon that will make you turn the pages。 This lingers in the mind。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 Can't recommend more highly。 。。。more
W Willowcat
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A depressing read at times but ultimately hopeful （at least for some）。 The links with David Copperfield are easily recognisable and cleverly worked into the story but I don’t think it would detract from this book if you’ve never read it。 The author sees through the cliched view of “hillbillies and paints a vivid picture of American rural communities and the impact that economic change has had on these people。 A moving book full of justified anger but saved from being too grim by its likeable mai A depressing read at times but ultimately hopeful （at least for some）。 The links with David Copperfield are easily recognisable and cleverly worked into the story but I don’t think it would detract from this book if you’ve never read it。 The author sees through the cliched view of “hillbillies and paints a vivid picture of American rural communities and the impact that economic change has had on these people。 A moving book full of justified anger but saved from being too grim by its likeable main character and narrator。 Thanks to pigeonhole for advance access。 。。。more
Amina Kara
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This was an excellent read， but gosh it was so heartbreaking and depressing at times！ It was so tough to read at times that I honestly felt like walking away from it。 I read David Copperfield prior to this and it's sad to see that some things really haven't changed between then and now。 Saying that， I enjoyed the parallels between this and David Copperfield， not just in terms of characters but the odd quote here and there too。 It was dark， sad， heartbreaking and tough so whilst I do recommend it This was an excellent read， but gosh it was so heartbreaking and depressing at times！ It was so tough to read at times that I honestly felt like walking away from it。 I read David Copperfield prior to this and it's sad to see that some things really haven't changed between then and now。 Saying that， I enjoyed the parallels between this and David Copperfield， not just in terms of characters but the odd quote here and there too。 It was dark， sad， heartbreaking and tough so whilst I do recommend it， I would urge caution because something like that might not be for everyone。 Thank you to PH and Barbara Kingsolver for the chance to read this book。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Demon Copperhead
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Demon Copperhead&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Demon Copperhead&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0