Book Review – Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver

---

Empathy is really the opposite of spiritual meanness. It’s the capacity to understand that every war is both won and lost.

---

Last fall, I read “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver, released in 2022, and this review explores its lasting impact. This is the second book from the Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist that I have read. I couldn’t get it out of my head, and I found myself unable to read anything else for a long time. In bookish internet parlance, this phenomenon is often called a book hangover. I began to wonder if a book hangover is a gift rather than an affliction, stemming from a rare encounter with a story so immersive and affecting that its ghost lingers with you. Discover more about our literary journey on our homepage.

What is Demon Copperhead About?

“Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver is like “David Copperfield” dropped into the heart of Appalachia. Set in Virginia’s Lee County during the 90s and early 2000s, it’s a story that’ll break your heart and make you laugh in equal measure. We follow Demon (real name Damon Fields) from the moment he’s born to a teen mom battling addiction. Barbara Kingsolver’s remarkable storytelling won her the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and it’s simple to understand why. This book addresses very serious issues, but it’s a journey worth travelling.

In Kingsolver’s book, challenging subjects like drug addiction, poverty, and barely surviving in a society turned upside down by the opioid crisis are explored.But things aren’t as bad as they seem. With a large cast of people that come to live off the page and communicate in a way that will transport you to Appalachia, the story is full of vitality. Being a native of Kentucky, Kingsolver doesn’t hold back. She has grievances about the way the media ignores Appalachia, the way large coal and pharmaceutical industries exploit the area, and the way city people frequently look down on impoverished rural Southerners. 

You’ll turn pages and be forced to think while reading this book. Kingsolver successfully blends folksy charm with real-life grit. What was the outcome? A tale that is both grand and intimate. This combination adds the book’s punch. One of the best books of the year, it’s a must-read.

Demon Copperhead Summary 

The summary for Barbara Kingsolver’s “Demon Copperhead” is an interesting read. Her writing vividly portrays Appalachian culture and talks about the issues that affect the region. This novel, when I read it, explored the traumatic effects of the opioid crisis, corruption in the pharmaceutical sector, and the exploitation of poor communities. From Demon’s perspective, readers like me and you experience the harsh difference between rural and urban life and the deep connection to the natural beauty of the Appalachian landscape.

Demon Copperhead’s story feels real and close to home. I think it’s because it’s written like people actually talk around those parts. You know, even when things get tough in the book, there’s always a bit of humor that keeps it from getting too heavy. Kingsolver’s story shows how unfair life can be, but also how tough people are when things get rough.Demon Copperhead really brings its characters to life and paints a clear picture of where they live. It makes you feel for these people and think about their problems. The book shows how a community that most people don’t pay attention to deals with tough times and stays strong.

Demon Copperhead Review

Demon Copperhead really sticks with you after you read it. The story moves along nicely, and Kingsolver’s writing is top-notch. She gives you plenty of details without slowing things down, and the book feels well put together. The people in the story seem real.The characters are well-rounded, flawed, funny, evil, and beautifully brought to life. 

It’s not a perfect book, but as its eponymous narrator proclaims early in the novel about his evocative nickname, Demon Copperhead, “you can’t deny it’s got a power to it.” “Demon Copperhead” is not Barbara Kingsolver’s first time writing an expansive, ambitious novel. Demon’s narration also gives the novel some much-needed color and levity. Through the voice of Demon, Kingsolver explores the richness of the Appalachian vernacular, giving us a feast of regional language and local turns of phrase.

One example being, “Mom always swore that was the train I barely missed getting whisked off to join some savage Holy Roller brood in open-ass Tennessee.” There are several moments in the book where she seems to break the fourth wall to speak through the character of Demon, to deliver, for example, a history of the word “hillbilly” or to eulogize the forgotten early victims of the opioid crisis. I’m not even someone who cares to read that much about children in novels, but Demon is such an endearing character.

What I Didn’t Like About the Book

There isn’t much I actively disliked, but I found the plot predictable. About 80% of the plot beats were easy to foresee, which could be due to the excellent writing and foreshadowing. This predictability did not diminish my enjoyment of the novel.

Is “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver a true story?

You may ask if Demon Copperhead is a true story. It feels so real that you’d believe it is. But Barbara Kingsolver made everything up. Even though it appears to be a true story, it is actually a novel. Kingsolver drew inspiration from an old book named “David Copperfield,” but set her story in the mountains of Southern Appalachia. The characters aren’t real, but the issues they encounter are.

The book discusses difficult issues such as drug addiction and children in foster care, which are common in that section of the country. Kingsolver grew up in rural Kentucky, so she knows how people live there. This makes the story feel real, even though it’s made up. So while Demon Copperhead isn’t a true story, it shows the hard times people in Appalachia really go through. That’s why it hits readers so hard – it feels true, even if it isn’t.

Conclusion

I think that is the majority of what I want to say about this book. I think it’s something to be enjoyed, savored, and explored. I also listened to an audiobook of it, which I think worked really well for me but the paper experience is also going to be a gorgeous one of really spending time with this huge cast of characters. If you want a book that’ll grab you and not let go, this is it. I’d tell pretty much anyone who likes a good story to give it a try. It’s just that good.

---

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Date Published: 2022

Pages: 560 pages, Hardcover

Goodreads Rating: 4.5/5

---

Demon Copperhead Book Club Questions (spoilers ahead)

• What did you think of Demon as a character? Did you like him?
• How well did the book portray addiction? Did it feel realistic?
• Which other character stood out to you the most? Why?
• Did the Southern dialect in the writing work for you, or was it distracting?
• How does this compare to other books about rural America you’ve read?
• What scene or moment in the book hit you the hardest?
• Do you think the ’90s setting added anything to the story?
• If you’ve read David Copperfield, how do you think this measures up?
• What do you think happens to Demon after the book ends?
• Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?