Demon Copperhead Book By Barbara Kingsolver

Demon Copperhead: A Pulitzer Prize Winner

2023 Pulitzer Prize Winner & Women’s Prize for Fiction Champion

Featured in New York Times’ “Top 10 Books of 2022” • Chosen for Oprah’s Book Club • Dominating bestseller charts: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.

Demon Copperhead, described as “a voice rivalling literary icons like Huck Finn or Holden Caulfield, but with unmatched resilience” (by Beth Macy, acclaimed author of Dopesick), has been hailed by Ron Charles of the Washington Post as possibly “2022’s finest novel—a blend of humor and heartache.”

From the renowned pen of Barbara Kingsolver, famed for The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees, comes a masterclass in storytelling that paints the compelling journey of a young hero’s path to maturity.

Set against the rugged backdrop of southern Appalachia, the narrative delves deep into the life of Demon, a boy with merely his late father’s captivating looks and fiery hair, a biting humor, and an unyielding instinct for survival. Born to a teen mom in humble circumstances, Demon navigates the contemporary challenges of foster care, substandard education, triumphs in sports, the lows of addiction, passionate romances, and soul-crushing defeats. As he ventures forth, he grapples with his own insignificance in a society where even fictional superheroes have forsaken the countryside for urban sprawls.

Barbara Kingsolver, inspired by Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield—a tale birthed from Dickens’ personal battles against the societal neglect of impoverished children—reimagines this Victorian classic in the modern American South. Kingsolver channels Dickens’ indignation, empathy, and most importantly, his belief in the redemptive quality of a compelling narrative. Demon Copperhead becomes the voice of today’s forgotten youth and champions the tales of those born into mesmerizing yet forsaken territories.

About the author

Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver grew up in rural Kentucky and earned degrees in biology from DePauw University and the University of Arizona before becoming a freelance writer and author. At various times in life she has lived in England, France, and the Canar…read more