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Demon Copperhead

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What to expect

**A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**

A masterful recasting of David Copperfield, narrated by an Appalachian boy whose wise, unwavering voice relates his encounters with poverty, addiction, institutional failures and moral collapse-and his efforts to conquer them. - the Pulitzer

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION
TWICE WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE FOR FICTION
THE MULTI-MILLION COPY SELLING AUTHOR
BOOK AT BEDTIME ON BBC RADIO 4
AN OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK
WITH OVER 29,000 5* REVIEWS

'Extraordinary.' OPRAH
'She means to save us by telling us stories. . . She comes closer than anyone else I know.' ANN PATCHETT
'Electrifying. . . Every sentence here sizzles. ' Daily Mail
'It's EPIC. Righteously angry, DEEPLY moving and exquisitely written.' MARIAN KEYES

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Demon Copperhead is a once-in-a-generation novel that breaks and mends your heart in the way only the best fiction can.

Demon's story begins with his traumatic birth to a single mother in a single-wide trailer, looking 'like a little blue prizefighter.' For the life ahead of him he would need all of that fighting spirit, along with buckets of charm, a quick wit, and some unexpected talents, legal and otherwise.

In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, poverty isn't an idea, it's as natural as the grass grows. For a generation growing up in this world, at the heart of the modern opioid crisis, addiction isn't an abstraction, it's neighbours, parents, and friends. 'Family' could mean love, or reluctant foster care. For Demon, born on the wrong side of luck, the affection and safety he craves is as remote as the ocean he dreams of seeing one day. The wonder is in how far he's willing to travel to try and get there.

Suffused with truth, anger and compassion, Demon Copperhead is an epic tale of love, loss and everything in between.

'Legit about to get an 'I'd rather be reading Demon Copperhead' sticker for my Nissan Murano.' ROB DELANEY

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What readers are saying:

***** 'An amazing, beautifully written story I cannot wait to recommend to everyone I know.'

***** 'Powerful and brilliant. To immerse yourself in a Kingsolver novel is to put yourself in the hands of a master.'

***** 'A must read and heart-opening book.'

***** 'Raw, angry, starkly beautiful. . . Genuinely one of the best books I've ever read.'

***** 'Amazingly complex. . . [Kingsolver] is, by far, one of the greatest living authors'

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 4.8
5.0
5.0
flaminia.baldwin 22/09/2025
5.0
5.0
im_de_cola 01/03/2025
5.0
5.0
OMG! What a wonderful book! Listened to it in the car and had to pull over a couple of times, I was so absorbed and move. Brilliantly narrated, but will read it in book form next year to savour the prose. Totally recommend this book!
Reggie 16/10/2024
5.0
5.0
Cheep 28/08/2024
5.0
5.0
MBest75 17/06/2024
5.0
5.0
Heartbreaking tale of extreme poverty and the effects on the children born into it. Enjoyed the narration of this very long book.
susiesocial 08/04/2024
5.0
5.0
This is an incredibly emotional read. The prose is so beautiful and really shone a light on the opioid crisis in America. Wonderful narration, completely immersive.
bazzalucy 26/02/2024
5.0
5.0
biamoore 13/02/2024
5.0
5.0
Incredible!
helenwellbeloved 21/01/2024
5.0
5.0
A brilliantly updated David Copperfield. Sometimes I listen to an audiobook and wish I’d read it myself, as the text is great but the narration is poor, but for me this was a great combination of masterful text and narration together, I found myself listening at every opportunity. Excellent.
monoped 04/10/2023
5.0
5.0
Gosh, this was a riveting read. Distressing but engaging at the same time. Much more powerful to hear this history through the voice a fictional character. The narrator’s voice really added to the experience and I found it lingered with me through the sections I read rather than listened to. My first Barbara Kingsolver but undoubtedly not my last.
Jen313 02/09/2023
5.0
5.0
danabannan252 18/08/2023
5.0
5.0
gemreads 21/07/2023
4.0
3.0
imogenlucyhale 20/07/2023
5.0
5.0
Love this book, and the most perfect narration. It’s Dickens’ David Copperfield retold in modern life from the viewpoint of a boy growing up in western Virginia in the late 20th century. It’s a clever interpretation of the orphan story in the context of the modern American epidemics of OxyContin and methamphetamine addiction, and the general decline of the mining industry in the region. It seems relevant to most post-industrial cities that feel a bit left behind.
kellifb 17/07/2023
5.0
5.0
mrkwr 14/07/2023
5.0
5.0
If I could give this book 6-stars, I would. One of the best reading/listening experiences I've had.
Truly beautiful, eye-opening, heartbreaking and uplifting. This is a book that will sit with you for a long time. Make this your next read!
megchaplin 09/07/2023
5.0
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. Kingsolver is a writer of towering stature and blistering, angry compassion. Outstanding. The narration totally does the book justice. Best eight quid I've spent in ages. Listen to it or read it. You won't be sorry.
BernieBarclay 29/06/2023
5.0
5.0
Ella_1718 06/06/2023
5.0
3.0
Tdk 17/04/2023
5.0
5.0
A wonderful feast of a book brilliantly read.
ronya 21/03/2023

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