Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Demon Copperhead

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

Format: Physical

Publish Date: October 2022

Read: October 2023

Favorite Quote: The wonder is that you could start life with nothing, end with nothing, and lose so much in between.

Story Synopsis: Damon Fields was born to a teenage mother in rural Appalachia. His father died before he was born, and his mother was an addict. From a young age, Damon didn’t have much stability and frequently bounced around homes and foster care. As he grew up, he was taken in by the high school football coach but soon followed in his mother’s footsteps with drinking and addiction. Demon Copperhead is a story about making the best of any horrible situation.

Why does this book beguile? Demon Copperhead won the Pulitzer Prize. It is beautifully written and it’s a scathing indictment of poverty, the foster care industry, and the beginnings of the opioid epidemic in America. It’s a retelling of David Copperfield written by Charles Dickens, and, much like David Copperfield, the story is depressing, and not much happens. It’s a “slice of life” story, meaning you’re looking at a snapshot of a character’s life. There’s no climax or denouement as you’d find in a fantasy story. Things happen. Then the book ends. That’s it.

The book is undeniably well done. Barbara Kingsolver is a master of prose. However, I didn’t like it. I should have known because I’ve never enjoyed Dickens, but I wanted to give the retelling a shot. Wasn’t for me.

Rating: 2/5

Link*: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

If you’re interested in this, read*: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens