Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, the story follows a boy born to a teenage single mother in a single-wide trailer. With nothing to his name but his late father’s good looks, copper-colored hair, and a sharp tongue, he navigates the modern perils of the American foster care system, crumbling schools, and the predatory arrival of OxyContin in his community.
As he grows from a neglected child into a young man, Demon faces a gauntlet of systemic failures, but he is sustained by his own artistic talent and a fierce, stubborn will to survive. It is a sprawling, “big” novel that mirrors the structure of a Victorian classic but feels urgently contemporary.
Demon Copperhead was the co-winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making it one of the most celebrated books of recent years.
⭐ Reviews
The Washington Post:“A powerful, unflinching look at a part of the country that is often caricatured. Kingsolver captures the beauty of the landscape and the dignity of the people while exposing the systems that exploit them. It is a towering achievement.”
The New York Times:“Kingsolver’s finest novel… It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s a grueling one. But the rewards are immense. She has created a character so real you’ll find yourself rooting for him long after you close the book.”