Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
âWINNER OF THE 2023 PULITZER PRIZE âą WINNER OF THE WOMENâS PRIZE FOR FICTIONâ
Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead tells the tale of a young boy born to a teenage single mother in a single-wide trailer. With no assets except for his deceased fatherâs striking looks and copper-colored hair, a sharp sense of humor, and an innate talent for survival, Demon confronts the challenges of foster care, child labor, dilapidated schools, athletic achievements, addiction, heart-wrenching romances, and devastating losses. Narrated in his own unflinching voice, he grapples with his own invisibility in a popular culture that has forsaken rural communities in favor of urban centers.
Centuries ago, Charles Dickens penned David Copperfield based on his own experiences as a survivor of institutional poverty and the detrimental effects it had on children of his time. Regrettably, these issues persist in our society. While Dickensâ work is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, it served as a profound source of inspiration. By transporting a Victorian epic into the modern American South, Barbara Kingsolver channels Dickensâ indignation, empathy, and, above all, his belief in the transformative power of a compelling narrative. Demon Copperhead gives voice to a new generation of lost boys and all those born into enchanting yet cursed places they couldnât fathom leaving behind.
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