I have just finished reading Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (best known for The Poisonwood Bible) and I am still enthralled with Demon’s world. This book is set in an impoverished community of Appalachian America, well known for its coal mining and tobacco plantations. Thanks to his copper-red hair, Damon Fields is nicknamed after the copperhead, a poisonous red snake that allegedly slithers around in the woods. The story is told in the wonderful voice of Demon when he is in his early twenties and starts with the event of his birth. It’s the story of a mother who tries hard to do the right thing, a nasty stepfather, foster homes, poverty, and the modern opioid crisis and big pharma. It is also the story of good people who retain their humanity, about the importance of pride in your identity, the strength of communities, the power of the land and the value of storytelling.
Kingsolver is known for her political intent and if I tell you all I’ve learned from this book you could be excused for thinking that this is a social science lecture. Nothing could be further from the truth; Demon Copperhead is a riveting and often funny read and the social messages are subtly and creatively integrated in the story. The book is a modern adaptation of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield and those who know this book will enjoy many moments of recognition (Slimy Uriah Heep is now the nasty U-Haul).
My copy has many dog ears (yes, dog-earing is allowed if it is your own book) and I will share just one quote (of many) that I love.
(Damon freaks out when he visits a city with high-rise apartment buildings which he calls doom castles): “Doom castle was normal to her…Supposedly she had school friends… but where were they? Nowhere. She couldn’t see them all summer. They lived in other doom castles. There was no running wild here like we did at home, adults around or not, ideally not. Emmy was not on her own for one second, due to all the unknown people and murder potential.”
Wilma
