Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Book Review by Kristine Madera
The word that kept popping into my mind as I listened to this book was “relentless.” Demon Copperhead is the first-person narrator in this modern retelling of Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield—itself a fictionalized telling of Dickens’ life. Demon Copperhead’s life is surprisingly true to the original. Set in Lee County, Virginia, in southwest rural Appalachia, Demon’s life is grounded in the poverty of a struggling single mother living in a rented trailer, an absent father whose death he knows little about, the rise of the opioid epidemic, and the tragic ways it pulls people into its grips.
Like I said, relentless.
Also excellent. Kingsolver’s writing is always spot on, but she does a wonderful job capturing Demon’s voice and thought process as he navigates his world from boyhood to a young man. The narration of the audiobook adds even more personality and I highly recommend that version.
That said, it is a long, relentless story of a resilient boy who doesn’t see his innate strength, has little support from the adults in his life, is thrust into and later careens into heartbreaking situations traversed with a dogged survival impulse and a heart that, despite counter winds and poor judgments, tips toward caring and love.
I think this book has toppled my old favorite Kingsolver novel and stolen its place in my heart.
About Kristine
Kristine Madera is an Amazon #1 bestselling author who writes fiction and nonfiction shaped by travel, culture, and lived cross-cultural experience.
Inspired while volunteering at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying in Calcutta, her novel God in Drag examines what happens when spiritual faith fractures in the sacred city of Varanasi. Read the first chapter of God in Drag HERE
She birthed her upcoming novel, The Snakeman’s Wife, as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Papua New Guinea.
Be on the lookout for her Etiquette Express Guides, a series of short, practical travel guides that help readers understand the customs, social expectations, and everyday dos and don’ts that make travel smoother and more connected.
Her travels have taken her across India, Asia, Europe, Australia, and Papua New Guinea as both a backpacker and Peace Corps Volunteer. A portion of her book proceeds supports cross-cultural education scholarships.