Demon Copperhead

A Novel

By: Barbara Kingsolver

Narrated by: Charlie Thurston

Length: 21 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

WINNER OF THE 2023 PULITZER PRIZE • WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION

A New York Times "Ten Best Books of 2022" • An Oprah’s Book Club Selection • An Instant New York Times Bestseller • An Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller • A #1 Washington Post Bestseller

"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 2022. . . . 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, a 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 listeners 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.

©2022 Barbara Kingsolver (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

A Hard Listen, Pitch Perfect Writing

The authenticity of her characters is what drew me in and broke my heart at the same time. The first person speaker makes it all the more intimate, convincing. I will be thinking about this story for a very long time.

Unforgettable, impactful, emotional.

A powerful story of poverty and drug use set in Appalachia with children generationally the victims. The story is compelling, the narrator perfect, it's the blunt, heavy words and phrases we expect from Kingsolver, every sentence sends readers reeling, almost imbalanced. Every bit a dealer in tragic stories as Cormac McCarthy, Barbara Kingsolver has the tools these stories need to be told properly. I am convinced I will need to read all her books also.

10/10 recommend!

I cannot emphasize enough, just how good Barbara Kingsolver’s character development and overall writing is in this book. I lived near the setting of this book for 3 years, and, as a nurse, have treated patients who could have been characters torn out of the pages of Demon Copperhead. There so much knowledge and accuracy in Kingsolver’s writing, it feels alive. I recommended this book to several friends/coworkers, who also rave about it. This is the first book I read by Kingsolver, but I purchased one of her other books before I even finished this one, and cannot wait to read it. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Interesting From Beginning to End

This was an emotional ride. Loved every moment. Excellent writing and performance. Won't disappoint.

I’ve been waiting☺️

I think it has been decades that I’ve been waiting for another move-the-peg book from BK.
This one rings the bell. A story told with her quirky way of seeing the world where you have to laugh out loud. There is nothing like her writing.
She has wrestled these old as the hills touchy subjects (drugs, OD, absolute poverty, neglect, football mentality of small towns, and many other things like red neck hicks and city people) and has woven a story born of very depressing roots into something good; really good.

Thank you!!!

Powerful, funny, and haunting.

This is one of the most powerful stories of what a challenge the lives of foster children can be. Demon Copperhead will put you through the emotional wringer.

Don’t let the name fool ya…

This is a story of growing up in modern day Appalachia. Having lived there, it’s very authentic. Well done, Miss Barbara!

Kingsolver does not disappoint

Realism with a glimmer of hope is Kingsolver’s wheelhouse and this story is 100% that. Set in Appalachia’s poorest places, Damon (nicknamed Demon) rides the lows of life as the orphaned son of addiction. Foster care, abuse, and neglect lead mostly to tragedy, with moments of hope for redemption. Hope is always present, just like the ocean. Even when it’s hard to see, it’s there.

Fabulous

I find this hard to say.. but I feel this beautifully written, constructed and performed book is a step above anything written by Barbara Kingsolver. Not only are the harsh realities of Demons life exposed but she cleverly allows us to grow up with him and as the sadness of his young life slowly moves into the void of a hopeless angry teenager, no matter our station in life.. we relate. It’s a gorgeous book.

Loved it!

Excellent!! This book is excellent from start to finish! The narrator is wonderful! I didn’t want it to end!