'First I got myself born. Like a little blue prizefighter.' So begins the tale of Demon Copperhead: our hero. A boy with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-coloured hair, bucket-loads of charm and a talent or two the world is yet to discover. Born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, life is not set fair for Demon as he escorts us on this, his journey through the modern perils of foster care, athletic success, addiction and disastrous loves in his quest to find himself. This is a tale of love, loss and everything in between. Inspired by the unflinching truth-telling of David Copperfield, Kingsolver enlists Dickens's anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story.