In rural Lee County, Virginia, Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Barbara Kingsolver has turned her art into action. Using royalties from her bestselling novel Demon Copperhead — a story inspired by the opioid epidemic in Appalachia — Kingsolver helped fund Higher Ground, a new recovery home for women rebuilding their lives after addiction.
The home provides a safe space for women to stabilize, heal, and begin again. In a region where treatment options are scarce, Higher Ground offers not just housing but also counseling, community support, and skills training. It’s a lifeline in an area hit hard by the opioid crisis, where stigma and lack of resources often leave women with nowhere to turn.
Kingsolver has long written about the struggles of rural America, and Demon Copperhead gave voice to communities devastated by opioids. By channeling the success of her book into a real-world solution, she’s bridging the gap between storytelling and action. For many in Appalachia, her involvement brings visibility and credibility to an issue that often feels forgotten.
What makes Higher Ground distinctive is its focus on dignity and empowerment. Recovery isn’t only about avoiding relapse — it’s about building a future. Residents receive not only counseling and peer support, but also help with education, job readiness, and reconnecting with family. The program recognizes that stability comes from more than sobriety; it comes from belonging, opportunity, and hope.
Local leaders say the project is transformative. Addiction has taken a heavy toll on Lee County, leaving many families fractured. A women’s recovery home fills a critical gap in services, especially in rural areas where treatment centers are few and far between. By giving women a place to rebuild, Higher Ground also strengthens families and communities.
Kingsolver’s involvement has drawn national attention, but she insists the credit belongs to the women and staff who make the home work every day. Her contribution is a reminder that the opioid crisis is not just a statistic — it’s a story of people, families, and communities fighting for survival and renewal.
The project also helps challenge stigma. Addiction in Appalachia is often framed in stereotypes of despair, but Higher Ground reframes it as resilience. Each woman’s journey demonstrates that recovery is not just possible, but deeply powerful. As one staff member put it, “Every success here is proof that our community can heal.”
Virginia’s Higher Ground is more than a recovery home. It’s a statement: that even in the heart of Appalachia, where addiction has left deep scars, new beginnings are possible. Thanks to a novelist’s vision and a community’s strength, women in recovery now have a place to rise.
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