barbara kingsolver book summaries

“First, I got myself born.”

The iconic opening line, establishing Demon's direct and resilient voice from the very beginning of his story.

“The very worst thing about being a kid is that you're stuck with your parents. The second worst is that you're stuck with your foster parents.”

Demon reflecting on the lack of agency and the difficult circumstances faced by children in the foster care system.

“You think you’re a person, but you’re just a thing they can move around. Like a piece of furniture.”

Demon describing the dehumanizing experience of being a child in the foster system, feeling like an object rather than an individual.

“People like us, we’re the ones who pay for everything. We’re the ones who get used up.”

Demon's bitter realization about the systemic exploitation and disregard for the poor and marginalized communities like his own.

“I was a kid who knew how to survive. That's what I was. And that's what I would be.”

Demon's internal declaration of his core identity, forged through hardship and a constant need to adapt and endure.

“There’s a whole lot of people in this world who don’t want to look at what’s right in front of them.”

A commentary on societal blindness to the suffering and systemic issues prevalent in communities like Appalachia.