I heard about the book, Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver on several Facebook sites. All had excellent reviews. When I learned it was an Oprah Book Club pick, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy!

I paused for a second when I learned it was 548 pages. I’m not one to commit to such long books. So, I came up with a plan. I borrowed the book from the library and told myself if I enjoyed it after reading 50 pages, I would purchase a copy. As you may recall, I am not a fast reader and couldn’t finish it in the borrowed time frame without feeling rushed. I fell in love with it immediately! I returned it for someone else to enjoy and bought a copy. 

Wow. Just wow. I know when I’m engrossed in a book because when I’m not reading it, I think about when I can sit down again and read more. Demon Copperhead is a story that’s influenced by Charles Dickens’ book, David Copperfield. Copperfield was published in 1850, and Copperhead in 2022. 

It’s a first-person narrative that begins with the protagonist’s birth and ends with adulthood. Damon, nicknamed Demon, is born to a single teenage mother living in a trailer during the 1990s. His life starts under unfavorable conditions and continues downhill, just like the slopes of the Appalachian Mountains in Lee County, Virginia where they live. Over the years, Demon faces unimaginable odds and a system that fails him. However, he also experiences hope and perseverance. Kingsolver twists the premise of her book between social justice and coming of age. It’s quite a tale. 

This book is fabulous! I knew I was hooked before my 50-page trial ended. It deals with difficult subject matter but is written with heart and such realistic emotions. She’s a master of creating the perfect characters with Southern roots in their personas. At times her words made me laugh out loud and a chapter later, I shook my head in anguish. 

While I was about halfway through the book, I learned that Barbara Kingsolver had won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for Demon Copperhead! Now if that doesn’t make you want to read it, nothing will! I will be thinking about this book for a while. Right now I have a terrible book hangover. I can’t recommend it enough! Also, check out the artwork on the cover. I tried to figure out the significance of each drawing. Maybe you can help me fill in the blanks? Please do yourself a favor and fall into this book. You won’t want to get out. Enjoy!