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Demon Copperhead , a Book Review
Thank you , Jennifer .
by Dolores Halbin , contributing writer
I have been looking for a segue to write a book review on Barbara Kingsolver ’ s 2022 novel , Demon Copperhead , for some time . And then , thanks to a beautiful letter from a lady named Jennifer in response to my February Valentine ’ s article ( see page 40 ), I found that door . Thank you , sweetheart .
Demon
I was strolling through downtown Petaluma , CA , a few years ago with one of my granddaughters , who is also an avid reader . We wandered into a bookstore , and there , on the entrance marquee , was a brand-new hardcover book by Barbara Kingsolver . I have loved Kingsolver ’ s writing since the first book of hers that I read , Animal Dreams . She is a brilliant researcher and an artistic wordsmith who weaves our history into beautiful stories in every novel . Moreover , she never leaves us in a pit of despair at the end .
I had no idea what the new book , Demon Copperhead , was about . I was just excited about a new Kingsolver novel for the plane ride home .
I was several chapters in and still wasn ’ t at all sure what direction the storyline would take . Our young man , and main character , was named Damon Copperhead , but he quickly took on the nickname Demon . The story starts with 11-year-old Demon growing up in an extended family , playing happily with his cousins in the backwoods of Lee County , VA ’ s poverty-stricken , abandoned coal mines and tobacco farms . His mother lived in a trailer , was single , and was a recovering drug addict . There were lots of directions this book could have taken .
Then I turned the page , where the eleven-year-old asks , “ What ’ s an Oxy ?”
Now , I knew what the book would be about , and I wanted to throw it . I felt I knew enough about the subject . When I knew more kids that died from Oxy than I could count on both hands , I quit counting . We are hard-pressed to find anyone who does not know one of the millions who have died . We are in our second consecutive lost generation from the premeditated terrorist attack brought to us via a Canadian criminal drug enterprise .
I was at my friend Bonna ’ s for the Superbowl game Sunday , and she had my copy of Demon in a pile of things I ’ d left there to send home with me .
“ So ,” I said , “ you finally finished it .” We share books , and I gave her Demon Copperhead about six months ago .
“ No ,” she replied . “ I ’ m just finished with it .” “ No can do ,” I told her .
There are several books over the years we have shared where we caution one another : Don ’ t read the last chapter . Quit while we ’ re ahead . We ’ ve even discussed rewriting the lousy endings of some of our favorite books in our retirement . After all , Robert Redford famously called the author of The Horse Whisperer ( film 1998 ) and offered him a million bucks for his book , as long as Redford could rewrite the really horrible last chapter . Author Nicholas Evans didn ’ t hesitate to say , “ Sure .”
Those of us who have read Demon Copperhead know , as with all Kingsolver books , the redemption is in the end , and her readers have earned it .
What is missing from Kingsolver ’ s story is the contribution law enforcement has made to the number of Oxy deaths . This is the story Jennifer brought us .
38 March 2025 2025