DEMON COPPERHEAD

There are five star books, and there are books that transcend the star rating altogether. This was one of those books for me. Demon Copperhead is a retelling of David Copperfield, a Pulitzer Prize winner, a master storyteller’s ode to Appalachia. But at its heart it is a coming of age story about one of the most unforgettable characters I’ve read, and all of the ways he is impacted by the cycle of poverty and addiction in America’s rural South. Demon consumed me, broke my heart, and then put it back together a hundred times, and I’ll never look at Appalachia the same way again.

The opioid crisis is no easy topic, but it is (tragically, infuriatingly) explained here through a character as real as he is unforgettable. Demon’s battles reflect Appalachia as a whole, but Kingsolver also shares the region’s beauty, with its chorus of cicadas and goldenrod and waterfalls. And, despite Demon’s abandonment and trauma, the book is tempered with wry humor, genuine heroes, and deep tenderness. The result is a novel that is easily on my all time favorites list, with a singular voice that will be in my head for a very long time.

Hunger is a pervasive theme, as Demon collects classmates’ cafeteria leftovers, or pines for an invitation to his neighbors, the Peggots, where a warm, simple meal felt like the best thing in the world. Cornbread is a staple of course - this skillet cornbread is from @thepioneerwoman and is so easy, loving a slice with butter and honey on this cold day. Black eyed peas are considered good luck for a new year - should we all eat some, then?