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4.0 

Demon Copperhead

By Barbara Kingsolver
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION

New York Times Readers’ Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st Century • An Oprah’s Book Club Selection • An Instant New York Times Bestseller • An Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller • A #1 Washington Post Bestseller • A New York Times "Ten Best Books of the Year"

"Demon is a voice for the ages—akin to Huck Finn or Holden Caulfield—only even more resilient.” —Beth Macy, author of Dopesick

"May be the best novel of [the year]. . . . Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, this is the story of an irrepressible boy nobody wants, but readers will love.” Ron Charles, Washington Post

From the acclaimed author of The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees and the recipient of the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Lettersa brilliant novel that enthralls, compels, and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero’s unforgettable journey to maturity

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. 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. 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.

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23608 Reviews

4.0
Thumbs Up“This book is an incredible illustration of how our past trauma can affect our lives. From mental fortitude to addiction, we are all products of our life experiences.”
Loudly Crying Face“My first Barbara Kingsolver book & I am blown away! It’s been a while since I’ve cried when reading a book, and this did it. I felt anger, grief, joy, disgust, & so many other emotions while reading this book. It’s long (550 pages), but worth it. It touches on many heavy topics such as substance abuse, child abuse, & sexual violence. And it can be challenging to read about these topics, but in the end I’m amazed at the resilience of some of the characters - it is realistic. I’ll definitely be reading some of her other books now. Highly recommend!”
Thinking Face“I found Demon to be hilariously sarcastic. I’m not a big literary fiction reader, but I loved the pacing of this one. Her points on the opioid crisis has you yelling at characters, while at the same time realizing it’s not their fault. Really enjoyed this one!”

About Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver is the author of ten bestselling works of fiction, including the novels UnshelteredThe Bean Trees, and The Poisonwood Bible, as well as books of poetry, essays, creative nonfiction, and Coyote’s Wild Home, a children’s book co-authored with Lily Kingsolver. She also collaborated with family members on the influential Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Kingsolver’s work has been translated into more than thirty languages and has earned a devoted readership at home and abroad. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and has received numerous awards and honors including the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel, Demon Copperhead, the National Humanities Medal, and most recently, the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and its Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives with her husband on a farm in southern Appalachia.

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