Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is a heartbreaking reimagining of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield. This is institutional poverty American style, set against the backdrop of the rugged Appalachians, with Hillbilly racism and an unhealthy dose of opioid crisis.
Damon (nicknamed Demon) Copperfield, is a young man navigating the trials and tribulations of growing up in a small Appalachian town. Much like his literary predecessor, Demon encounters a cast of colourful characters who shape his journey, from the enigmatic Mr. Peggot to the sinister U-Haul Pyles. Damon is knee deep in poverty, over his head in opioids, and caught in the middle of America’s clash between rural and urban values.
Demon loses his family to poverty and pain pills, he loses his school friends and sense of belonging as quickly as his caseworkers lose his files, and he’s invisible and then far too visible as he moves from orphan to football star, where he then loses everything again. This novel is about survival, and you are never quite sure if Demon is going to make it. Indeed, his narrative throughout is about trying to pinpoint where his great unravelling begins. Is it when he’s born to the drug addict mother or is it at some point along the way—because this kid is let down so many times, it is hard to put your finger on just one moment.
Hillbillies, crackers, rednecks, and white trash. There are so many labels for poor and working-class white southerners. Demon Copperhead forces the reader to think about those labels, where they came from, and what they mean for the those folks who have a love-hate relationship their culture and the place they live. Kingsolver won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for this novel and it’s no surprise. She’s deftly woven Appalachian history with that of the coal, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries to reveals the lost boys and cursed places left in the wake of the great American dream.
Barbara Kingsolver is the award-winning author of a great number of books, including The Poisonwood Bible. Check out her official site for more.