Having read most of her novels, my excitement level grew to a fever pitch for the release of her newest work, Demon Copperhead, a modern-day retelling of Charles Dickens’s beloved David Copperfield that takes place in Appalachia.

When I told her that I had been an English teacher prior to writing full-time, she said, “Oh, I love English teachers.” And while I had already fallen in love with her work, these words and the enthusiasm with which she delivered them have remained deeply planted. The atmosphere was infused with magic, as Kingsolver took the time to chat a bit with everyone who approached her about her work, myself included. As my husband and I feasted on delectable farm-to-table fare, the pair was seated at a table not far from us. $32.50.Ī number of years ago, I met Barbara Kingsolver at Harvest Table (the restaurant founded by the author and her husband, Steven Hopp) in Meadowview. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can’t imagine leaving behind.Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. 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. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. 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.

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. Relayed in his own unsparing voice, Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is 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. Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, this is the story of an irrepressible boy nobody wants, but readers will love.” (Ron Charles, Washington Post)įrom the acclaimed author of The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees, a brilliant novel that enthralls, compels, and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero’s unforgettable journey to maturity 'Demon is a voice for the ages-akin to Huck Finn or Holden Caulfield-only even more resilient.” -Beth Macy, author of Dopesick

An Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller.

A NEW YORK TIMES 'TEN BEST BOOKS OF 2022'

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