A masterful recasting of David Copperfield, narrated by an Appalachian boy whose wise, unwavering voice relates his encounters with poverty, addiction, institutional failures and moral collapse-and his efforts to conquer them. - the Pulitzer
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION
THE MULTI-MILLION COPY SELLING AUTHOR
BOOK AT BEDTIME ON BBC RADIO 4
AN OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK
WITH OVER 26,000 5* REVIEWS
'Extraordinary.' OPRAH
'She means to save us by telling us stories. . . She comes closer than anyone else I know.' ANN PATCHETT
'Electrifying. . . Every sentence here sizzles.' Daily Mail
'It's EPIC. Righteously angry, DEEPLY moving and exquisitely written.' MARIAN KEYES
____________
Demon Copperhead is a once-in-a-generation novel that breaks and mends your heart in the way only the best fiction can.
Demon's story begins with his traumatic birth to a single mother in a single-wide trailer, looking 'like a little blue prizefighter.' For the life ahead of him he would need all of that fighting spirit, along with buckets of charm, a quick wit, and some unexpected talents, legal and otherwise.
In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, poverty isn't an idea, it's as natural as the grass grows. For a generation growing up in this world, at the heart of the modern opioid crisis, addiction isn't an abstraction, it's neighbours, parents, and friends. 'Family' could mean love, or reluctant foster care. For Demon, born on the wrong side of luck, the affection and safety he craves is as remote as the ocean he dreams of seeing one day. The wonder is in how far he's willing to travel to try and get there.
Suffused with truth, anger and compassion, Demon Copperhead is an epic tale of love, loss and everything in between.
'Legit about to get an 'I'd rather be reading Demon Copperhead' sticker for my Nissan Murano.' ROB DELANEY
____________
What readers are saying:
***** 'An amazing, beautifully written story I cannot wait to recommend to everyone I know.'
***** 'Powerful and brilliant. To immerse yourself in a Kingsolver novel is to put yourself in the hands of a master.'
***** 'A must read and heart-opening book.'
***** 'Raw, angry, starkly beautiful. . . Genuinely one of the best books I've ever read.'
***** 'Amazingly complex. . . [Kingsolver] is, by far, one of the greatest living authors'
Review
'It's EPIC. Righteously angry, DEEPLY moving, wholly immersive, totally convincing and exquisetly written. She is so GIFTED.' -- Marian Keyes
Reinventing Charles Dickens' David Copperfield . . . this polemical epic held me spellbound with its wisecracking Holden Caulfield-esque narration, its lyrical evocation of place, its humour, heart, pain and redemption. Unmissable. - The Bookseller, Book of the Month
'A fantastic read. Beautifully written, harrowing, uplifting, a wonderful meaty , Dickensian book - with a protagonist you want to love like a child' -- Emily Maitlis
'What an astonishing and enduring talent.' -- Jo Browning Wroe
'An angry, powerful book seething with love and outrage for a community too often stereotyped or ignored.' - Kirkus Reviews
I am a long-time fan of Barbara Kingsolver's writing but I was really blown away by Demon Copperhead - without a doubt the best book I'll read this year. And next year too, probably. -- Kate Atkinson
Book Description
This instant classic is a masterpiece in storytelling from one of the worlds best-loved novelists. A once-in-a-generation novel it breaks and mends your heart in the way only the BEST fiction can.
About the Author
Barbara Kingsolver's books of fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction are widely translated and have won numerous literary awards, including the Women's Prize for Fiction, awarded to The Lacuna; Flight Behaviour was also shortlisted. She is the founder of the PEN/Bellwether Prize, and in 2000 she was awarded the National Humanities Medal, her country's highest honour for service through the arts. Prior to her writing career, she studied and worked as a biologist. She lives with her husband on a farm in southern Appalachia.