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Demon Copperhead

Demon Copperhead

Contemporary LiteratureLiterary Fiction
Pages
560
Published
2022
Language
English

Synopsis

Born in the Appalachian mountains with little more than his father's looks and a sharp wit, Demon Copperhead navigates the harsh realities of a system that fails its children. From foster care to addiction, he recounts his life in an unsparing voice, facing the struggles of poverty and the feeling of being forgotten. This novel reimagines Dickens' David Copperfield for a new generation, offering a powerful story of resilience in a place many can't leave.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

EmotionalGrittyThought-ProvokingDark
Coming of AgeSurvivalReluctant Hero
Writing4.0Impact5.0Characters5.0Plot2.0Atmosphere3.0

Genres

Contemporary Literature Literary Fiction

About the author

B
Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver is an American novelist, essayist and poet, born in 1955 and raised in rural Kentucky. She trained as a scientist, holding degrees in biology, ecology and evolutionary biology, and worked as a freelance writer before turning to fiction. Her novels include The Poisonwood Bible, about a missionary family in the Congo, The Lacuna, and Demon Copperhead, a retelling of Dickens's David Copperfield set in the Appalachian Virginia of the opioid crisis, which won the 2023 Pulitzer Priz...

Characters

Demon CopperheadProtagonist
Murrell StoneAntagonist

Nicknamed "Stoner," Demon's abusive stepfather.

Mom FieldsSupporting

Demon's mother, a young single parent struggling with substance addiction.

Mr. PeggotSupporting

Demon's neighbor, who provides an early source of stability.

June PeggotSupporting

A nurse and maternal figure to Demon; the Peggots' daughter.

All characters in Demon Copperhead

Frequently asked questions

  • Is Demon Copperhead based on a true story?

    No — the novel is a work of fiction. Barbara Kingsolver set it in the real Lee County, Virginia, and grounded it in the real opioid epidemic that has devastated southern Appalachia, but Demon and the other characters are invented.

  • What classic novel inspired Demon Copperhead?

    Charles Dickens' David Copperfield (1850). Kingsolver reimagines Dickens' plot and its critique of institutions failing children, transplanting it to a boy growing up in contemporary Appalachia amid poverty and the opioid crisis.

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