If Mary Karr and Charles Dickens had a baby in Appalachia, it would be Demon Copperhead, the latest novel by Barbara Kingsolver. It’s so good, I can’t bear to sully it with a plot synopsis. While it gets marks from reviewers for portraying social issues, it’s the wonderfully-developed characters, not just the title protagonist but a dozen supporting characters, that knock me out. If you have any connection to Appalachia, you will jump up and down and holler when you read this book. And even if you don’t. It may be the best book of 2022. Here’s what Kirkus Reviews says:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/barbara-kingsolver/demon-copperhead/
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Readers familiar with Barbara Kingsolver’s best-selling novels may not know that she also is a poet. Her second collection is How to Fly In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons, which is organized into seven sections. The title of the book comes from the first section, a series of “how-to” poems. The second section is comprised of poems inspired by her family trip to Italy. The third section is about death and the passing of those close to her. The fourth section is themed on human connections. The fifth section is about the power of artists and what the claims art makes on its creators. The sixth section is a single, long prose poem, “Where it Begins,” that meditates on the interconnectedness of everything in time. The last section is called “The Nature of Objects.” It’s an impressive collection, tender and clear-eyed, metaphysical and sensory, demonstrating a wonderful mastery of language, sound, and rhythm. Her precise descriptions elicit the spirituality that infuses the physical world. If you liked Kingsolver’s novels but shy away from poetry as too incomprehensible, don’t shy away from this book. It’s accessible, and if you enjoy her novels, you’ll enjoy Kingsolver’s poetry. The book has received good reviews, but not as good as it deserves. Here’s what The Guardian says:
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