Demon Copperhead

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 • Oprah’s Book Club Selection • Instant New York Times Bestseller • Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller • #1 Washington Post Bestseller • New York Times "Ten Best Books of the Year"

“Demon is a voice for the ages—comparable to Huck Finn or Holden Caulfield, yet even more tenacious.” —Beth Macy, author of Dopesick

“Possibly the best novel of [the year]... A story that’s equally hilarious and heartbreaking, featuring an unstoppable boy who may be unwanted by everyone else but will be adored by readers.” —Ron Charles, Washington Post

From the renowned author of The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees comes an extraordinary novel that captivates and resonates, following a young hero's unforgettable journey to adulthood.

Set in the rugged mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead tells the story of a boy born to a teenage single mother in a small, run-down trailer. With nothing to his name except his deceased father's striking looks, fiery red hair, sharp wit, and fierce survival instincts, Demon faces the harsh realities of foster care, child labor, failing schools, fleeting athletic success, addiction, turbulent love, and devastating losses. Throughout it all, he confronts his own invisibility in a society where even superheroes have abandoned rural communities in favor of urban centers.

Generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield based on his experiences with institutional poverty and its impact on children in his time. Those issues remain unresolved in today’s world. Although familiarity with Dickens is not required, his work inspired this novel. By reimagining a Victorian epic for the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver channels Dickens’ outrage and empathy, along with his deep belief in the power of storytelling to transform lives. Demon Copperhead gives voice to a new generation of lost boys and those born in beautiful yet cursed places they can’t bear to leave behind.