Here are some of the main takeaways from Demon Copperhead:ġ. Kingsolver’s skillful storytelling weaves a tale that is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, making it a must-read for fans of literary fiction and social commentary. The novel offers a poignant exploration of those born into beautiful yet cursed places and their internal struggle to escape or stay.ĭemon Copperhead is a powerful, evocative novel that speaks to the resilience and courage of a new generation of lost boys, navigating a complex world that often overlooks their plight. Kingsolver’s richly layered narrative pays homage to Dickens’ anger and compassion, shedding light on the ongoing challenges faced by children living in poverty today. The novel is narrated in Demon’s raw and unsparing voice, which vividly conveys his struggles with addiction, love, loss, and the sense of invisibility he experiences in a world that has seemingly forgotten about rural communities. Other institutions fail him as well, including school, where he’s deemed “gifted” only because of his artistic talent.Demon, the protagonist, is a captivating character born to a teenage single mother, with only his wit and talent for survival to guide him through the harsh realities of foster care, child labor, and derelict schools.

Dad is dead, a story that trickles out in bits and pieces over the course of the novel, and mom is eventually in no shape to parent, so Demon is ejected into a series of foster homes, each only slightly more bearable than the last. “First, I got myself born,” begins the book, as Demon flops around on the bathroom floor of his junkie mom’s trailer, “inside the sack that babies float in,” mom unconscious nearby. The voice takes some getting used to, but from the start the title character feels like a reliable narrator, telling it very much like it was. If you’re familiar with the Charles Dickens classic, you’ll follow the story’s beats and chuckle when you meet the Pegs, Tommy Waddles and UHaul Pyles instead of the Peggottys, Tommy Traddles and Uriah Heep, but the story certainly stands on its own.

But you don’t need to have taken an English lit seminar to enjoy this novel. “Demon Copperhead,” the latest from Barbara Kingsolver, is a modern reimagining of “David Copperfield,” set in Appalachia.

“Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper) This cover image released by Harper shows 'Demon Copperhead' by Barbara Kingsolver.

Demon copperhead review