Demon Copperhead

As a person who writes, I read a lot of books by other writers. I want to read new stories or familiar stories or genres I never read before.

Some I feel are OK. Some are terrible and not worth my time. I don’t talk about those books because I feel certain there are fans of those books who would disagree with me.

When it comes to a great writer, that is all I want to talk about. I have a few writers that I joke about. I say when I grow up I want to write like them. (Hello, Tara Jenkins Reid and Grady Hendrix.)

Then there are times I read a book that is highly touted. Maybe they have won an award or two. Maybe they were short-listed on various book award nominations. So I am excited to read them, that is until I do. I have been left disappointed more than a few times.

That is until now!

When my book club pulled out Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, I wasn’t too certain about it. It’s big and thick. The audio book version had seventeen discs in it. 17!

Those doubts ended with the first disc.

Wow!

There was so much that I loved about the book. Demon’s voice is strong and sure while telling his story, even the difficult parts. He never sugar coated the problems he faced after losing his mother and becoming an orphan. He talks about the parade of awful foster parents, finding a decent home, and short-term happiness that falls apart with a football injury.

His sure eye for people and better descriptive ability of their characters shows a boy who had to grow up too fast. Childhood for him was not going to be an available luxury. But it taught him how to read people, even when that meant finding fault with someone he respected in the past.

I found myself wanting to memorize lines that I found meaningful.  Lines about his dead mother being one of the first dead in the oxy assault on Appalachia. Lines about how descriptive words were used to put groups of people ‘in their place’ but get turned around as an affirmative for those marginalized peoples.

I found myself rooting for Demon, hoping that he was getting out of the pit of bad luck and abusive people.

 I should tell you that Kingsolver used David Copperfield as her pattern. If you know that semi-biographical book by Charles Dickens, you know how Demon’s story will end. I had never read the source material. But I did read Dopesick by Beth Macy and it is amazing how Kingsolver folds the oxy crisis of the 90s and early 00s into Dickens’ tale. You see how people change their attitudes about the drug that was supposed to be miraculous in the treatment of pain that turned into a destructive force within the community.

Before you think that this is all plot and no character development, I must dissuade you of that thought. We get to know these people. We know back stories, we know what they mean to Demon. Even with those who are cruel to Demon, we get an understanding of who they are. But the ones that he loves, are the ones we know and root for the most.

But this is the true test of why you might want to give this book some time. My husband has been in the car with me as I listened to the book. He was so interested – a man who prefers hard-boiled detective novels – that he had me order it for him in audio book format.

This is a book that makes you think of many things. Child abuse. Addiction. The oxy scourge and targeting by the drug companies of specific communities. High school football. The foster child system. The kids who survive and the ones who don’t. The adults who are willing to take advantage of kids. The ones who try to look out for them. This book sticks with you. I find myself thinking about it all of the time.

I hope you will pick this up and give it a whirl.

Hangin’ at the THC Bakery

So the other week I had a new experience. I went to a bakery that specialized in baked goods and drinks that are infused. As in substances that used to be illegal. Luckily for me, I was able to get a drink that was not infused with anything.

This particular night, I needed someplace to sit and work on my laptop while my husband was at a beer tasting event at a place that was 40 mintues from our house. I was the designated driver and did not want to be tempted. Nor did I want to drive all the way home, only to have to turn around to get him. I didn’t want to hang at McDonalds or some other fast-food joint. Nor would Starbucks or other restaurants in its ilk be open till nine.

So I began a google search and found this bakery was open till 9:30 P.M. Perfect!

I could sit on my computer and phone, quietly tap away while having an iced drink and eating some sort of baked goody. I did not count on the infusion.

I cannot have this type of infusion.

Why is that?

Let’s just say that eating that stuff will have an adverse effect on my digestive system. I have tried a gummy -once- only to be in bed for the rest of the day after my system cleaned itself out. I finally managed to pass out then went on to have some of the weirdest stress inducing dreams I have ever had.

Anytime I go for a colonoscopy, I wake up nauseous. I am willing to stick my finger down my throat as far as it will go to make the nausea stop. I will never get any medicine that starts with Narco unless, of course, I want to lose ten pounds in one day. 

It is the worst feeling.

So here I am at a business that sells the stuff I cannot have. After a quick explanation from the very friendly staff, I chose a non-infused iced tea mango drink.

Very tasty.

I explained that I needed some place to sit while I waited for my husband to be done at his thing. I was told to settle in and be comfortable. So I did near an outlet so I could charge my phone. While I worked on my laptop, creating the book list I posted last week, I got to people watch all the customers who came in.

Some were like me, needing a full explanation. Others knew what they wanted but needed tips from the staff on how to get the most out of their purchase. Other customers asked each other about the infused drinks and how well they worked for themselves or the person they were buying them for.

It was interesting and informative. I was very comfortable and actually heard a bunch of music I don’t normally listen to. There were various rap songs being played I don’t hear normally that intrigued me.

This is probably a place I will take family members who prefer these products.  There was a giant Jenga game and a swing chair along with the big table I took over. I had a great experience and hope to go again sometime.