Demon CopperheadDemon Copperhead
What it's about
Dickens's David Copperfield, moved to the mountains of Lee County, Virginia, in the 1990s and 2000s. Damon Fields, nicknamed Demon, is born in a single-wide trailer to a teenage mom and grows up as every system fails him: foster homes, child labor on a tobacco farm, a shot at high school football glory, and the painkillers flooding his town. He tells it all himself, years later, in a voice that's wisecracking, furious and big-hearted. It's a coming-of-age epic set against the opioid crisis.
Why it's worth reading
Demon is one of the great narrators of recent fiction: funny, furious and impossible not to root for. Kingsolver writes about Appalachia with love and without pity, and the book makes a national tragedy feel personal.
You'll love it if you liked
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Grapes of Wrath
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American CityGood to know
It's long and covers addiction, neglect and abuse, but the voice keeps it moving and often laugh-out-loud. If the first 50 pages hook you, you'll finish it.
By the numbers
- Readers95 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics94 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller73 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz37 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #1 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #2 of the 481 new books we rank
- #3 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible
The Lacuna
Flight BehaviourIf you like this, read next
The Color Purple
The Help
Pachinko
Shuggie Bain
Half of a Yellow Sun
I, ClaudiusExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Demon Copperhead worth reading?
Yes. Demon is one of the great narrators of recent fiction: funny, furious and impossible not to root for. It ranks #3 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 96.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Demon Copperhead about?
Dickens's David Copperfield, moved to the mountains of Lee County, Virginia, in the 1990s and 2000s. Damon Fields, nicknamed Demon, is born in a single-wide trailer to a teenage mom and grows up as every system fails him: foster homes, child labor on a tobacco farm, a shot at high school football glory, and the painkillers flooding his town. He tells it all himself, years later, in a voice that's wisecracking, furious and big-hearted. It's a coming-of-age epic set against the opioid crisis.
How long does it take to read Demon Copperhead?
About 14 hours (556 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Demon Copperhead won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (2023); Women's Prize for Fiction winner (2023).
What should I read after Demon Copperhead?
If you liked it, try The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck or Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond.