This is the kind of book that I will sing the praises of for a long time. While Demon's story hit particularly close to home for me as someone who grew up in my own little Lee County, it also feels so so so important for people unfamiliar with the struggles of rural poverty to read and chew on. This story covers so much, from generational addiction and trauma to systemic cycles of poverty and oppression to the opioid crisis and the nature of victimhood to the rich beauty and culture of small rural towns. Between identifying with the characters myself and naming names for people I know, grew up with, and love who lived similar lives, this book felt like a loving but very realistic telling of what growing up poor in Appalachia can look like. It really can feel like we're the kicked dog of America, to borrow Kingsolver's metaphor, and I would hope that this story can foster empathy & curiosity from people who see Appalachians as the uneducated & undeserving poor. I also feel strongly, and I cannot stress this enough, that this book is required reading for social workers, drug counselors, and anyone looking for work in a helping profession. I'm in school for my MSW now and reading this encouraged me to think hard about how social systems fail hard-working, well-meaning Americans every single day -- especially children. I love reading a book that makes me feel invested in the character's life; between the rich storytelling and the prose & stylization of Demon's narrative voice, I feel like this story was told to me in confidence by a friend rather than by way of fiction. Kingsolver's choice to "write like they talk" sold this book for me, especially with Demon's quirks and colloquialisms and country sayings. I truly have so much to say and love about this book and I'll be telling anyone who will listen about it for a long time to come.