A Demon disciple

I’m in the midst of doing something which I’ve never before done – I’m relistening to an audiobook. A couple of things, I think, make this remarkable. The first is that the audiobook encompasses 21+ hours of listening, a real commitment of time and attention, especially when you multiply it by two. The second is that I began relistening to this novel the day after I listened to the final chapter. 

I’m just not ready to let Demon go.

If you’re not familiar with Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, you need to correct that situation asap. Quite frankly, it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read, and as an English major/librarian, I’ve read thousands of books in my life. So, that’s saying something.

The story of Demon Copperhead is a masterfully told one with heartbreak, humor and plenty of social commentary. From the moment we meet Demon, when he enters the world en caul on the bathroom floor of the trailer where his 18 year-old mother delivers him, his life is a struggle. The adults in his life fail him again and again, while his peers lead him on paths from which there is little hope for return. Each step forward is matched by a step backwards and as he tells us “it can always get worse.”

It’s, at times, a very difficult book to read.

But, there’s something about this character that is captivating. Demon has no idea how special he is – a gifted artist with an eye for observation and a loyal friend, who one can’t help but to root for as he gets thrown yet another curveball in a life filled with challenges and nearly lacking in adult guidance and support.

The passages that relate the tale of big pharma and the ravages of opioid drugs on the community where Demon resides in W. Virginia are infuriating. The Sackler family truly should rot in hell for what they’ve done to this country and the world. Their drug, OxyContin, promoted as nonaddictive and harmless, wreaked havoc on the population surrounding, and including, Demon.

Honestly, the opioid crisis seems almost the natural follower to tobacco and mining, when it comes to the health of the population in an area of our country which receives little support and even less understanding. That doesn’t make watching it (or hearing it as the case may be) any easier. As Demon came to understand, what happened to his community was not the fault of those who resided there – it was, as Aunt June said, done to them. They were the country victims of capitalist America, mere casualties of corporations intent upon maximizing profits at the acceptable cost of minimizing lives.

Observing Demon isn’t always easy. His “choices,” limited as they are, prompted me to groan more than once. “No,” I thought. “Don’t do that!,” as he blundered through his teens. I wished to be there in his life to offer him support, hope and a direction forward.

When Demon is told by one of the few adults in his life who wanted nothing from him that he is resilient, he immediately assumes that’s a negative characteristic to embody. He is oblivious to the fact that his very survival is a testament to his ability to punch his way out of death by drowning – be it en caul, self pity or addiction. He is a survivor in the truest sense of the word and I absolutely love him.

Listen to this book, at least once. Then buy a copy so you can feast on the words at your own pace. Let me know what you think.