Barbara Kingsolver, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist known for her vivid portrayals of Appalachian life, has reflected on her connection to the region and its ongoing struggles with the opioid crisis. Kingsolver, who grew up in Carlisle, Kentucky, and currently resides in Meadowview, Virginia, discussed the complexities of representing Appalachia in literature during an interview in 2024.

Kingsolver’s latest novel, *Partita*, set to be published next month, tells the story of Livia, a young woman who escapes an unhappy dairy farm in Tennessee to attend college on a piano scholarship, where she becomes involved with a revolutionary before facing a series of hardships. The novel follows Kingsolver’s critically acclaimed 2022 work, *Demon Copperhead*, which reimagined Charles Dickens’s *David Copperfield* against the backdrop of the modern opioid epidemic in Appalachia. *Demon Copperhead* received widespread acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize and the Women’s Prize, and selling over 324,000 copies in the UK alone.

The opioid epidemic has had a devastating impact on Appalachia, a 200,000 square-mile region stretching from New York to Mississippi characterized by mountainous terrain and a history of heavy industry and small family farms. Purdue Pharma’s aggressive marketing of painkillers targeted the region, which has a high population of manual laborers, contributing to widespread addiction and overdose deaths. Although overdose fatalities have recently begun to decline, the legacy of the crisis endures, with many families affected by orphaned children and ongoing community challenges.

Kingsolver noted a shift in attitudes toward addiction in Appalachia, emphasizing growing compassion in a culture that once largely viewed addiction as a moral failing. She acknowledged the difficulty of addressing such topics but highlighted the importance of telling stories that resonate with the lived realities of the region. Appalachian residents, long misrepresented or dismissed in popular culture, embraced Kingsolver’s depiction of their community. “The mail carrier, the UPS guy, the cashier, they all said, ‘We won the Pulitzer!’” she recalled.

Responding to the crisis beyond her writing, Kingsolver used royalties from *Demon Copperhead* to establish a women’s recovery residence in Lee County, Virginia, an area featured in the novel. The center, which has received strong community support, has been fully occupied since opening and maintains a waiting list. Some graduates have successfully transitioned into employment, including welding positions, prompting Kingsolver to open a second facility.

Kingsolver’s work continues to draw attention to both the challenges and resilience of Appalachia, combining storytelling with social engagement in a region grappling with economic hardship and the aftermath of the opioid epidemic. In recognition of her literary contributions, she will receive the Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence later this year.