“Demon Copperhead”

I feel like I’ve been reading this book for a year a) because it’s really long and b) because I didn’t want to finish it. Barbara Kingsolver won the Pulitzer Prize for this novel that is a social commentary on the failures of welfare programs, the opioid crisis and struggles faced by the Appalachian poor.  While the content is sadly eye-opening, the hero and narrator of this coming-of-age story is affable, funny and rather resilient. Just when you believe things are looking up for Demon, another person or breakdown in the “system” sets him back.  Kingsolver’s ability to write in a young man’s voice, incorporate pithy dialog throughout and educate the reader about a neglected part of America is extraordinary.