CHAPTERS 21 to 29 SORRY! CAN’T FIX HEADER.

Welcome Friends! Thanks for joining u/fixtheblue, u/bluebelle236, u/Meia_Ang and me on this Big Winter read and our 3rd discussion check in for Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead.

For the schedule click here. For the marginalia click here.

Please remember that r/bookclub has a strict spoiler policy. When mentioning other material please spoiler tag it using the format > !your spoiler!< without the spaces. If you are unsure err on the side of caution and tag it. Thanks.

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SUMMARY

(Taken liberally from https://www.gradesaver.com)

Mr. McCobb finds Demon a job, so he can make money for them. He sorts through trash near a convenience store, for a frightening man named Ghost. At school, Demon learns that other kids have been making fun of him. He tells Mrs. McCobb that all of the other kids hate him. She takes him to the store to buy new clothes. He eventually begins to suspect, accurately, that Ghost is running a meth lab.

Miss Barks takes Demon out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant. She says she has very exciting news to share. She informs him, to his sadness, that she is quitting DDS to take a job as a teacher. She says she will no longer be his caseworker. Things deteriorate at the McCobb household, as money gets even tighter. Demon flies into a rage after he discovers that Mr. McCobb has stolen some of his saved money. He decides to run away from home, hitchhiking a ride to Murder Valley, his father's hometown, after work. He takes some convenience store food and his meager savings with him.

Demon is robbed at a gas station rest stop by a drug-addicted woman. Desperate and exhausted, he sleeps behind a dumpster that night. He travels across Tennessee, hitchhiking multiple rides. Eventually he arrives in Murder Valley. He asks around about his grandmother. He finally meets her and she tells him a bit about his father. He also befriends her brother, Mr. Dick, a wheelchair-bound man who enjoys reading. His grandmother decides to help him find another home, saying she does not want to raise him but won't send him back to DDS. Demon watches Mr. Dick fly a kite.

To Demon's happy surprise, he is taken to live with the coach of the Lee County Generals, a prominent local high school football team. He refers to him as "Coach." He meets Coach's daughter, whose name is Agnes but is called Angus by everyone. He initially assumes she is his son because of her tomboyish appearance. She shows him around the house. He is overwhelmed by his sudden change in circumstances, particularly his large, new home. Angus takes him shopping for new clothes and says her dad will pay for everything. He gets an entire wardrobe update, including brand-new sneakers. He wonders how long his good fortune will last.

Next week u/Meia_Ang will lead us through Chapter 30-39. See you all in the comments.