Read from: 07.26-2026-08.15.2026

What stayed with me

Demon Copperhead didn’t give me a quote I could tuck into the Quotes Written in Stardust section, because if it could’ve, I would’ve just posted the entire book there. Demon Copperhead is about the hard things in life we typically turn away from-substance misuse, neglect, poverty, the failures of our country’s foster care system, and young lives lost while fighting to survive. It’s a profound reminder that so much of life comes down to circumstance, nothing more, nothing less, and there is a humanity in that we should all strive to remember- never judge someone for circumstances you’ve never had to live through. It could’ve been me. It could’ve been you. It could be someone sitting in a public library right now, who stumbled across this blog, desperately trying to see themselves somewhere. More than anything though, Demon Copperhead is a novel about resilience- and should be required reading for anyone who wants to look outside of themselves.

And the ending…after spending the book trying to see the ocean, by the time we leave Demon and his trusted campion, (read the book to find out who), we get the sense that he’s finally on his way, to the ocean, and to so much more.

“The trip itself, just getting there, possibly the best part of my life so far. Headed for the one big thing I know is not going to swallow me alive.”

— Barbra Kingsolver, Demon Copperhead