Book Review - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
What is Demon Copperhead about?
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is the Pulitzer Prize-winning story of a boy born to a single mother — described as an "expert at rehab" — in a single-wide trailer in the mountains of Southern Appalachia. His father died before he was born, but he has inherited his Melungeon looks and copperhead hair. It's fair to say he's up against it from the start, in this epic tale of survival about the boy that nobody wants.
It really seems silly to even attempt a synopsis of this book. You'd be best to launch into it and give yourself over to a story about love and neglect, the opioid epidemic, the plight of the poor, and the grinding, relentless poverty that keeps them down. Be in no doubt — this novel goes to some dark places, and there are times it can feel pretty relentless.
Although that may sound grim, Demon's distinctive voice is full of wit and warmth. He has his hopes and dreams, no matter how much he feels looked down on as a hillbilly. He's sustained and nurtured too by the love of those around him, especially the extended Pegotty family.
Opioid Epidemic
In a quirk of reading synchronicity, I was also reading 'Empire of Pain', Patrick Radden Keefe's investigation of the Sackler clan, the producers of OxyContin. Shifting between the two, I felt completely immersed in the opioid epidemic from both sides of the divide: the rich purveyors and the desperate consumers.
I'm not sure that was entirely a good thing. I experienced a degree of fatigue around the halfway point, when Demon reaches high school. That's probably my own fault for reading two books on the same topic simultaneously — the anger and despair generated by both left me less than enthusiastic at times. But as always, I hadn't read the blurb, so had no idea Demon Copperhead was heading down this road.
What is apparent throughout is Barbara Kingsolver's passion for social justice. She really brings across the pain of the maligned and forgotten poor of Southern Appalachia — the abuse, the foster care system, backbreaking labour, and the disdain with which these people are treated.
"You get to a point of not giving a damn over people thinking you're worthless. Mainly by getting there first yourself."
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
As Kingsolver details in the afterword, Demon Copperhead is partially inspired by David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. If you're going to update a classic, you might as well take on one of the greatest. Like David, how badly is Demon shaped by his unhappy childhood?
Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, Demon's story is one for the modern age. His spirit and resilience shine through even in the darkest places — and it's not just him. Everyone in this book has their crosses to bear. As Sartre says: life begins on the other side of despair.
There's a colourful cast of characters, too many to mention. One of my favourites was the formidable June, who could see what Purdue and the Sacklers were doing from early on. There's dark humour too:
"…filling his pill-mill scrip and the pharmacy lady leans over to warn him, 'This one's strong, hun. The Purdue rep takes it so he can sleep nights.'"
There are plenty of villains, but mostly there are people with big hearts. As the saying goes — those with the least to give always give the most.
Is this the best Barbara Kingsolver book?
I'm probably not best placed to say, having only previously read The Poisonwood Bible — the equally long story of a family who move to the Belgian Congo in the early sixties. I enjoyed that too, and it gave me a sense of Kingsolver's epic storytelling and her tackling of issues like American capitalism, racism and colonialism. I read it as part of my book club, and the themes in Demon Copperhead will make it equally ripe for discussion.
This is a vivid, moving epic — the storytelling exuberant, full of colour and detail. It took me to some dark places but contained moments of real beauty and hope. After I got over the hump in the middle, I became immersed in the second half, and it's been a while since I rooted for a character as much as I did for Demon, the Appalachian David Copperfield.
546 pages
First published October 18, 2022
Bookshop Amazon UK Amazon US
My Score - 4
Demon Copperhead Book Club Questions (spoilers ahead)
Does having previously read David Copperfield enhance or detract from your enjoyment of Demon Copperhead?
What are the similarities and differences between the world Dickens created and Kingsolver's modern American society?
What does the book tell us about Kingsolver's ideas on social justice?
Early in the book Demon says "the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose." To what extent do you believe this to be true?
How does Demon's friendship with Maggot change over the years?
How much of Demon's life is shaped by being born in Appalachia?
The epigraph quotes David Copperfield: "It's in vain to recall the past, unless it works some influence upon the present." What does this mean to you?
Demon has a lifelong interest in drawing and superheroes. How important is this at different stages of his life, and does it carry a deeper meaning?
Why do you think Demon prefers rural life to city life?
How does Demon's grandmother help in ways others couldn't?
Fast Forward is one of the most charismatic characters in the book. What draws people to him?
What is it about living with Angus and the Coach that benefits Demon?
What do Demon's experiences tell us about the foster care system in America?