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Demon Copperhead: A Novel

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Charlie Thurston
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Ratings
Book
744
Narrator
265
Release Date
October 18, 2022
Duration
21 hours 3 minutes
Summary
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION

New York Times Readers’ Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st Century • An Oprah’s Book Club Selection • An Instant New York Times Bestseller • An Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller • A #1 Washington Post Bestseller • A New York Times ''Ten Best Books of the Year''

''Demon is a voice for the ages—akin to Huck Finn or Holden Caulfield—only even more resilient.” —Beth Macy, author of Dopesick

''May be the best novel of [the year]. . . . Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, this is the story of an irrepressible boy nobody wants, but readers will love.” —Ron Charles, Washington Post

From the acclaimed author of The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees and the recipient of the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, a brilliant novel that enthralls, compels, and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero’s unforgettable journey to maturity

Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Relayed in his own unsparing voice, Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.

Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens’ anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can’t imagine leaving behind.
Reviews
Profile Avatar Kristin O. Feb 2023

Really ended up liking this book. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did I was hooked.

Profile Avatar Gary C. Feb 2023

A terrific and timely story made even more compelling by the terrific narration.

Profile Avatar Colleen G. Mar 2023

I think - WOW. Kingsolver does it again.

Profile Avatar Kristen F. Jan 2023

And enjoyable story, a little lengthy at times, and well written. Except for the numerous references to people, movies, and fads that didn’t happen in that time period. Who was your editor?

Profile Avatar Andrea M. Jan 2023

Funny and heartbreaking. I loved it and didn't want the book to end.

Profile Avatar paisleynoel Jan 2023

A such an amazing novel and the audiobook was incredible. The reading gave more credibility to the story which I loved

Profile Avatar MaryWyatt S. Sep 2023

Moving. Stunning. Tragic. Perfectly narrated. A triumph of the individual over the horrific failures of our society.

Profile Avatar Teresa B. Sep 2023

This is one of the finest, most important books I've read in years. Barbara Kingsolver shows her literary power, her compassionate eye and her ear tuned to the true voices of people that matter. I see this book as a necessary part of our national healing, should be mandatory reading. It reveals through the delightful language of one young man, all the ways we fail to see each other and ourselves, all the reasons we need to dig in, listen harder, understand each other better, to lean in and lend a helping hand to pull our collective selves out of this mess. Thank you Barbara Kingsolver. So delighted that you received the Pulitzer Prize. Well deserved.

Profile Avatar Hilary W. Sep 2023

I would like the option of giving the narrator special superlative stars. He was phenomenal. Kingsolver stunned me twenty years ago when I read the Poisonwood Bible. Demon C is similarly triumphant.

Profile Avatar Michael G. Mar 2023

Kingsolver is a great storyteller. I can't actually say I enjoyed Demon Copperhead. It is not an easy read but it is very good. It's a heartbreaking indictment of so many broken systems in our country. I love the way she makes the politics real. She shows how the power of big pharma and profit, our pathetic health-care system, the inequalities in everything from public education to child welfare to wealth distribution affects people in very real and heart wrenching ways.

Profile Avatar Emily B. Dec 2022

This book really added a human element to the opioid crisis in rural America. The narrator was also excellent

Profile Avatar Joni T. Jan 2023

Addresses issues including poverty, drug addiction, foster care. The ending gives you hope. Great sense of humor. The narrator was excellent.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Dec 2023

Super excellent listen! Could have listed for another 21 hours. Seeing his life through to an old man.

Profile Avatar Bruce R C. Oct 2023

Amazing! Ms Kingsolver has an understanding of how childhood trauma looks from the perspective of the child better than I have ever read.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Oct 2023

Sigh. What a beautiful journey. It’s a testimony to Kingsolver’s talent that 20 hours of single-voice narrative remains consistently engaging. It’s a brilliant novel that is somehow both heartwarming and heartbreaking. A must listen! Narrator is fabulous.

Profile Avatar H. Michael R. Oct 2023

Funny, tragic, uplifting, sad, awful, beautiful, amazing. No-holds-barred social commentary drawn with a level of skill and care that puts non-fiction in its place. And the audiobook narrator deserves an award for this work.

Profile Avatar Slrossman Oct 2023

A wonderful story about a boy's fight for survival in a cruel world where everything is stacked against him. Took me a long time to get into it, as the character development is slow and lots of characters to keep track of. I do think it was worth the reach and is one book I will recommend again and again. Narration was outstanding.

Profile Avatar Catherine C. Sep 2023

I enjoyed this a lot. The accent and slow detailed way the story unfolded took a bit of getting used to in the beginning but once I settled into the story all the details made for a well rounded book.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Aug 2023

Brilliant. I don't know any other way to describe the concept, writing, and narration.

Profile Avatar Marisa B. Aug 2023

Very well written. Raw and full of detail that really helped you get to know the characters. Lots of struggles/tragedies/etc that made it realistic but also didn’t have a direction where you felt like you were headed somewhere. It definitely sheds light on the challenges of foster care, opioid crisis, and rural life without a lot of opportunities. A great first read but (personal preference wise) not a book I would come back to read again. The author is very talented so I would definitely want to read more by them.

Profile Avatar Alexandra C. Aug 2023

Heartbreaking, heartwarming, and one that will stay with me my whole life.

Profile Avatar Sally F. Jul 2023

A brilliant story beautifully written and captivatingly narrated - one of the very best narrators I've listened to!

Profile Avatar Katherine K. May 2023

Barbara Kingsolver is a master of the English language. And her insight into life is heartfelt and thoughtful. This book was heartbreaking and redemptive. The Pulitzer Prize was well earned. Also, the narrator took me a minute to get used to, but he sucked me right in. One of the best books I’ve listened to in a long while on both accounts.

Profile Avatar William E. Apr 2023

How the author was able to research and write this book from the narrator's perspective is a wonderful mystery to this reader. I confess that there were times when I wearied of the drug culture that often dominated the narrative, but it was a key to the story and how it played out. I loved the Melungeon history that was also foundational to the novel. Fascinating!

Profile Avatar Eve M. Apr 2023

Barbra Kingsolver NEVER ceases to amaze! I have read many of her books, and always am so satified by my experience, I think about her writing for many days even after I have finished reading her book. This book was especially meaningful because I went to undergraduate college in Roanoke VA, just a whistle up the road from where this book was set. Kingsolver's ability to authenitcally create/research peolple and places and weave her stories around contemporary issues is so important, while seeming effortless. (oh shoulf I site Dickens?, Hee hee). The narrator was brilliant! Loved the listen!!!

Profile Avatar Janie W. Apr 2023

Loved it. Very long but that was ok because it held my interest.

Profile Avatar Diana H. Mar 2023

Wow… loved every minute. Great narration. Great story…very captivating, First person narration made it very real. Highly recommend!!! BKS does it again.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Mar 2023

Maybe the best book I ever read. The story of course is extremely moving and parallel to Oliver twist as well as the corner cannot be overstated. It opens up the inner workings of a drug saturated subculture in heartbreaking ways. But the authors command of Southern country vocabulary and language is stunning. And the narrator is truly amazing. Highly recommend...

Profile Avatar Ann P. Feb 2023

A great read. Touches on some of what is wrong in our culture and how to help set things right. The characterization of Demon is amazingly clever and interesting and heartwarming. The themes of generational poverty and how disadvantaged people are treated are in need of exposure and this book shines a light on these sad realities. At times a bit long winded, but worth sticking with it. Barbara Kingsolver weaves a wicked, yet hopeful tale. BRAVA!

Profile Avatar Linda R. Jan 2023

A boys childhood to a man. Discounting the language I believe everyone should listen to this book. We have a child who looses his mother at 11 and is shuffled from one foster to next. From the beginning he learns he is only there to give everything he has and if he doesn’t do it good enough he will be thrown out. He finally is placed with a dream family but still believes he has to prove himself as the star football player. When he is injured life turns on him. ** This book was difficult but needed for life lesson. As was the book Educated

Profile Avatar Anonymous Dec 2022

Enjoyable

Profile Avatar Anonymous Nov 2022

Excellent book! Provides real incite into the opioid crisis, the flawed foster care system, and poverty in Appalachia. The natural beauty of Appalachia and generosity of neighbors in also revealed. Beautifully written through the eyes of the charming narrator who has a wonderful heart and wicked sense of humor. I must listen!

Profile Avatar Melanie C. May 2025

another amazing book by Barbara Kingsolver, and im not sure I've listened to a better narrator. Wish I could give more than 5 stars for both the book and the narrator.

Profile Avatar Katherine M. May 2025

Super audiobook

Profile Avatar Carole D. May 2025

Good book, narration was great!

Profile Avatar Sherry B. Apr 2025

A grippingly written story of a gritty childhood where a wrong decisions are made and eventually dealt with. He becomes a man in such a beautiful and unique way. Hard to recommend without giving it away. What an incredible gift Barbara Kingsolver has given. Teaching us how to love all others no matter what.

Profile Avatar Andrea S. Feb 2025

my favorite author's wonderful book, yet by a great narrator!

Profile Avatar Cheryl Z. Feb 2025

I enjoyed the book but felt it dragged on a little too much in the middle where it was pretty depressing. Then the end felt rushed! I really felt for this kid but at times I wanted to strangle him! The narrator did an excellent job and I was pretty convinced that he was Demon Copperhead. I would recommend it as long as there aren’t other books you want to read more!!

Profile Avatar Debra B. Feb 2025

I liked the book but the drug content kinda put me off. Great narration.

Profile Avatar Nancy B. Jan 2025

Amazing book! Wonderful narrator!!

Profile Avatar Anonymous Jan 2025

West Virginia, beautiful state linked with family education, work, and drugs in those who rise above it Drugs are not the only description of West Virginia survival is Paramount in this story

Profile Avatar Marchell I. Jan 2025

Great book

Profile Avatar Teresa S. Jan 2025

I fell in love with this book two minutes in. The author gives our protagonist clever and colorful words that are voiced perfectly by the narrator.

Profile Avatar Jill F. Jan 2025

If you are triggered by very descriptive drug use, alcohol use, sexual and/or family assault, this is NOT the book for you. That being said, I did enjoy the story; love, family, friends, resilience and most importantly hope.

Profile Avatar Ester F. Dec 2024

Omg … way too long !You know that family member or friend that everytime you meet only has bad news to tell ? That’s this book . After a while it gets tiresome ! It could have been several chapters shorter. The character’s personal struggles are a constant in every chapter so I feel that it dragged too long . The narration carries a strange cadence which tends to end in a singsong at the end of the sentences, several times I couldn’t tell if it was meant to be serious or sarcastic.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Nov 2024

Incredible.

Profile Avatar Lee K. Nov 2024

This was a great story. The narration was fantastic. It had probably been 15-20 years since I have read a Barbara Kingsolver novel. My favorite of her books is Prodigal Summer, I really think it was her best of all of her novels. Poinsonwood Bible and The Bean Trees were fantastic also. Demon Copperhead was a story that was heartbreaking, funny, and it kept my attention throughout the entire story. Without giving anything away, I kind of like how the end left you wondering about his future. Anyone that loves this author and has not read Prodigal Summer, you should read it, I still think it is her best ever.

Profile Avatar Sabra G. Nov 2024

It lives up to my high expectation. The narrator presented it like a movie more than any book I’ve heard before - straight from Demon’s mind. Enjoyed it all.

Profile Avatar Leigh E. Oct 2024

Thought it was good overall. Got too drawn on talking about football and the opioid epidemic. It seemed to be trying to take a political stand and from then on seemed ignorant of issues of other places even smaller with less opportunities then what was described here with almost self pitying with a “poor me” vibe that got old

Profile Avatar Katherine N. Sep 2024

DEMON COPPERHEAD is not one of my favorite reads. It does, however, cover an area that I needed to become educated on. I really couldn’t understand the opioid problem in rural America. Now, I have a better understanding.

Profile Avatar Clifford C. Aug 2024

Great Read

Profile Avatar Anonymous Jul 2024

Great book, great narration that allowed the dialogue to come to life.

Profile Avatar Gail W. Jun 2024

I have never read a Barbara Kingsolver book that was nothing other than fabulous. This one is no exception. From her very first book decades ago, I’ve been totally hooked on anything she writes. Always timely, always of the utmost social commentary and urgency, she’s forever at the forefront, writing about the issues of the moment, the issues that the world must pay attention to for the sake of our planet.

Profile Avatar Aengle3 Apr 2024

This was a wonderfully woven story. Narration was great as well.

Profile Avatar Leon S. Apr 2024

pretty good listen

Profile Avatar Rachel B. Mar 2024

I truly enjoyed this book, however it got so depressing & stayed there for so long that I almost didn't finish it. The characters were made very real by the narrator's country accent. This book was a true experience!

Profile Avatar Patrick M. Mar 2024

This was a great listen. Recommended to me by a good friend. Really loved the story and the characters. Overall a great listen!

Profile Avatar Ken W. Mar 2024

great story well told

Profile Avatar Miranda H. Feb 2024

Fantastic book and the narration is perfect. My new favorite audiobook.

Profile Avatar Namarran Feb 2024

Amazing narration! And an extremely well written book. Loved it.

Profile Avatar Marion B. Feb 2024

Loved Demon all the way through. A myriad of characters around him in this love letter to the “hillbillies” of rural America.

Profile Avatar Antoinette V. Jan 2024

Great story! Even better narrator!

Profile Avatar Anonymous Jan 2024

The narrator’s voice made it even more real.

Profile Avatar Christina R. Jan 2024

I loved the narration on this and the story was disturbingly addictive.

Profile Avatar Todd N. Jan 2024

Not quite finished, but I am really enjoying this audiobook!!

Profile Avatar Ellen M. Dec 2023

Compelling

Profile Avatar Description Label Dec 2023

Amazing writing and the narration was perfect.

Profile Avatar Sharon R. Oct 2023

Worth Reading. Seemed as though he would get a break and then something would happen to set him back. The very people who were put in place to help raise him were deeply flawed. The writing was supurb and the narration was excellent.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Oct 2023

A very realistic look at the lives of those kids that have been brought up by neglectful parents and endured the foster system. It opened my eyes as to how opioid abuse gets started with pain meds and how dependent people get on them for their feeling of well being. Fabulous narration and believable characters.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Oct 2023

I’m surprised there are no comments regarding the similarities of this book to David Copperfield. The names of the characters, their relationship to Demon, and their situations mimicked the characters in David Copperfield. The plight of the people of Applachia was accurate, however reading 550 pages or listening for 21 hrs to an uneducated, backwoods hick made this book one that I would not recommend.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Aug 2023

I had tried to get into the book twice with no luck so I decided to try it on audiobook and that made such a difference. The narrator did a superb job and told the story perfectly.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Aug 2023

Great read / listen

Profile Avatar Mark S. Aug 2023

Loved this book!

Profile Avatar Prasad P. Aug 2023

nice book

Profile Avatar Phil S. Jul 2023

Excellent American novel, felt like I was living the narrator's life in Appalachia

Profile Avatar Jennie L. Jul 2023

Narrator brought this story to life!

Profile Avatar Jaelen G. Jun 2023

Great book

Profile Avatar Kathleen W. Jun 2023

Excellent!

Profile Avatar Terry P. Jun 2023

Demon copperhead was very creative and moving. The reader was excellent.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Jun 2023

Great story, kept me interested the entire book. Narrator was awesome!

Profile Avatar Ronda M. May 2023

Great book!

Profile Avatar Anonymous Mar 2023

Truly Amazing

Profile Avatar Aggie Mar 2023

I forget sometimes, how difficult life begun in the hole can be, and how casually drug addiction can occur. This story left me emotionally wrung out, but with hope at the end.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Feb 2023

Very long. Got lost at times as to who was who. The narrator was fantastic capturing the idioms and feel of the character

Profile Avatar Howard R. Jan 2023

Great narrator but I thought the book could have been shorter especially tiresome at times with the endless drug addiction scene.

Profile Avatar Diann D. Jan 2023

Excellent book! Really enjoyed it.

Profile Avatar Anne W. Nov 2022

A stunning treat

Demon Copperhead: A Novel

Demon Copperhead: A Novel

Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Read by: Charlie Thurston
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