Barbara Kingsolver has the audacity to take an English classic, David Copperfield, and move it to modern times in the Southern state of Virginia. We follow the journey of the charismatic Demon Copperhead, as he negotiates his way through life in the foster care system, a series of setbacks, and the constant temptations of nullifying opioid addiction. Just as in any work by Dickens, there is a whole gallery of rogues and villains, some sinister, some just foolish, and Demon is just one amongst several children who have been orphaned. There are also women who are fragile victims, used by men, but there are also kind hearted matriarchs, and those of strength and independence. Just as in the Victorian slums, this is a society where the underclass are uneducated and addicted - in this case through the tacit encouragement of legal painkillers, a real life problem, and one which wrecks lives. These people are seen as ‘hillbillies’ and ‘rednecks’, but Demon and his fellow foster ‘brother’ Tommy take these terms of derision, and through art, subvert them and use them as a tool for education. There is a real anger for the way in which these people are treated, and a grim picture is given of the road to addiction and possible recovery. The writing is, of course, soaring and wonderful, told through Demon’s perspective, and rich with description and dialogue. The characters are vibrant and interesting, although the sheer volume of the cast can at times be overwhelming as Demon moves from one setback to another (with a glorious moment of apparent triumph in the middle). Charles Dickens told by Barbara Kingsolver, with a modern twist. The result is something quite spectacular, an ambitious work that takes on its own life and its own significance.

I have just finished this is it is the best book I have read this year. Inspired by David Copperfield but set in modern times, this novel is a sweeping story of one boy's life in Kentucky and Tennessee from the trailer he is born in, through foster care and drug addiction into adulthood. The story takes in the redemptive power of nature, the fragility and ferocity of family and friends, as well as the horror of Purdue pharma and the destruction they wreaked on communities in America. I was reading this in a café and had to go home to finish reading because I knew I would start sobbing - and I did. But in a good way. I can't stop thinking about this book. Though it's inspired by David Copperfield, you can absolutely read it and enjoy it without having read David Copperfield - it stands alone as a complete story. However if you have read David Copperfield, it's such a joy to recognise the bones of it within Demon Copperhead. I love Barbara Kingsolver so much, and for me this is her best book yet.

With its many accolades I am not sure how needed one tiny bookseller's voice is in the conversation but if you are reading this please take it as a sign to pick up this book. I have spent my life rather intimidated by Barbara Kingsolver and always believed that her work would be too clever for me. To my shame, I am not the biggest Dickens fan either and David Copperfield is not among the titles I have read. I never would have picked up Demon Copperhead if it weren't for it being picked for our book club as through a mixture of intimidation and prejudice I had assumed it was not for me. How wrong I was. This is one of the most impressive, poignant, and impactful novels I have read this year. I finished reading it two months ago and Demon lives on in my thoughts daily. This is a retelling of David Copperfield set against a backdrop of the opioid crisis in the United States. In the past year I have read Patrick Radden Keefe's Empire of Pain and Beth Macy's Dopesick; both of which informed my reading of the novel but aren't necessary reading as Kingsolver perfectly paints a portrait of what that time in America was like. This novel is rich with research, atmosphere, and personal detail. I strongly urge people to give it a try as my life is better for having read it. What a joy I now have Kingsolver's backlist to discover.

I really was not sure how to review this book,its a very sad story about Damon(Demon)who was 'First,I got myself born' to a father who had died and a mother who couldn't cope with anything.She got together with low life who made his life hell ,he left to find his grandmother aged 11.(Miss Faversham) and sent to a new family,who were sort of kin.Before he was placed with people who only wanted the money for looking after him. He was angry at everybody except Coach his erstwhile father who wanted to mould him into a football player which he did and was good at until one of his opponents destroyed his knee leading him into heavy medication and an addiction which lasted many years .He descended into a drug hell which held him in its grasp and despite several people trying to help he always came back to his 'friends 'and spiraled out of control,people he knew died but he was too far in. A modern imagining of David Copperfield set in the modern era in no town USA. Brilliantly written ,not an easy read but ultimately worthwhile. Won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the Women's Fiction prize 2023

This is a brilliant book taking David Copperfield into the 21st century and proving the equal of Dickens. The story of Damon growing up against the odds with the truly awful obstacles in his life but with the honest love of his extended family and good friends swept me along. The characters were so well drawn, the environment and settings so evocative and the story itself so dramatic. I loved it. It’s disturbing that the story, mirroring the Victorian original, is as relevant now as then, with the casual cruelty and carelessness shown as still alive in our civilised world. But there is hope and joy with a lightness of touch and comedic moments as Damon makes his way through his life. I found this a rich and lovely tale told with great skill. Fiona