When Barbara Kingsolver’s novel “Demon Copperhead” won the Pulitzer Prize and sold over 3 million copies, the acclaimed author made an extraordinary decision. She invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties to open Higher Ground Women’s Recovery Residence, a pioneering women’s addiction recovery facility in rural Virginia’s Lee County.

On a June evening at the historic Lee Theatre in Pennington Gap, the community gathered to celebrate the home’s founding. Kingsolver invited the women residing there to join her onstage, asking them to share what they were most proud of gaining during their first weeks at Higher Ground. Their response surprised her—they were more eager to praise one another than themselves.

A Home Built on Understanding

Higher Ground represents a crucial resource for women’s addiction recovery in an area devastated by the opioid crisis. Unlike traditional treatment facilities that operate under highly structured medical supervision, this recovery residence offers a more relaxed environment designed to help women transition back into independent living.

The facility provides genuine stability: a true home with one and two-person bedrooms, a communal kitchen, and a comfortable den. Residents can stay for up to two years, gaining the footing necessary for lasting recovery from substance use disorders.

“Recovery occurs in the community,” explained Marvin Ventrell, CEO of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. But reentry must be approached delicately. When addiction affects an individual, “it also occurs within a family social structure.” Without proper support, a person’s chances of success are severely diminished.

Stories of Transformation

Ronda Morgan arrived at Higher Ground after serving a jail sentence for drug possession. Following more than three decades struggling with addiction, she was ready for change. “I’m sick of them having to do time with me,” she told herself, thinking of her family who had always supported her.

Her daughter, a nurse, informed her about Higher Ground, the first facility of its kind in sprawling, rural Lee County. What Morgan didn’t anticipate was the profound kinship she would forge with her housemates and staff.

Syara Parsell, 35, one of Higher Ground’s first residents, has received help finding employment and enrolling in community college courses. The judgement-free support from staff and Kingsolver has been transformative. “Together,” she said, “we figure it out.”

Parsell has long suffered from social anxieties; drugs were her escape. At Higher Ground, her housemates embraced her. “Every two seconds, someone’s like, ‘Syara’s here!'” she said. “I’m very grateful for it.” When issues arise in the house, “one of the seven of us has the solution.”

From Fiction to Action

For Kingsolver, who grew up in Appalachia and returned full-time in 2004, the opioid crisis became the focal point for what she hoped would be “the great Appalachian novel.” The epidemic “has changed so much of the texture of this place,” devastating families and communities.

Pharmaceutical companies targeted central Appalachia for sales of what they falsely claimed were addiction-resistant prescription opioids. Kingsolver wanted to expose the pattern of extractive industries that “came to this place, took out what was good, and left behind a mess.”

“The way I put it is, ‘They came to harvest our pain when there was nothing else left,'” she said.

During research for “Demon Copperhead,” she immersed herself in the stories of people navigating addiction and those who care for them. The novel’s enormous success, earning far more than her previous works, enabled her to dedicate resources to addressing the crisis overwhelming her home region.

Building on Expertise

Kingsolver drew on a wide range of expertise to determine that a women’s addiction recovery home was the wisest investment. Joie Cantrell, who works as a public health nurse in harm reduction for the Virginia Department of Health and serves as Higher Ground’s board chair, had long recognised the need for such a facility.

“That was the part that was missing,” Cantrell explained. Too often, when someone left a treatment facility or incarceration, “we lost them. They fell back into the same old patterns.” The region sorely needed a safe, stable environment where women could recalibrate their lives.

The location, right in town, addresses a critical need. “Which is so important,” Kingsolver noted, “because in this part of the country we have no public transportation.” By August, the home reached its capacity of seven women.

Living Life in Recovery

The women’s addiction recovery approach at Higher Ground emphasises community integration and personal responsibility. Four residents are employed outside the home, one is enrolled in community college classes, one is completing her GED with plans to continue her education, and everyone volunteers in the community. Crafting classes are offered. Family members visit regularly.

“They’re living life,” said Subrenda Huff, who served as interim director whilst Liz Brooks took maternity leave.

Morgan accomplished more in a month at Higher Ground than she had in years. This includes applying for identification documents, taking budgeting classes, seeking permanent housing, and sharing household upkeep duties.

Community Embrace

Kingsolver anticipated possible resistance. “I thought maybe people would say, ‘I don’t want this in my backyard,'” she admitted. Instead, “the community embraced this with loving arms.”

Most of the furniture was donated. Kingsolver’s quarter-million social media followers contributed, but local support proved equally vital. “It’s not just book clubs in Switzerland or in California; it’s people in Pennington Gap,” she said. Church groups donated quilts, bedside lamps, and wall decorations “just to make it homey.”

Before the facility opened, local volunteers pulled weeds, removed an old fence, and erected a new one. The well of support “has been just endless. It’s been deep, and loving, and a wonder to see,” Kingsolver said.

Sustainable Model

Higher Ground operates with estimated yearly costs of £120,000, relying on just one paid staff member. Residents pay £50 weekly—significantly below the approximate £2,500 monthly average at other recovery houses, according to Ventrell.

“We want them to focus on saving money and paying any restitution or fines they may have from past charges,” Cantrell explained. “Some may be focused on repaying child support they may owe.”

The facility receives no federal or state funding, depending entirely on donations. Kingsolver recently purchased the building next door with plans to open a thrift shop, which would provide additional income for the home and offer retail work experience for residents.

A Model for Prevention and Recovery

The success of women’s addiction recovery at Higher Ground offers important lessons for addressing substance use disorders. The model demonstrates that effective recovery requires more than medical intervention: it demands community support, stable housing, skills development, and peer understanding.

From a prevention perspective, the facility addresses several critical factors that contribute to sustained recovery. By providing affordable, long-term housing, Higher Ground removes the financial barriers that often lead women back to unstable living situations where substance use is prevalent. The two-year residency period allows time for genuine transformation, not just short-term sobriety.

The peer support model recognises that women recovering from addiction often face unique challenges, including trauma, caregiving responsibilities, and social stigma. Creating a space where women support one another reduces isolation and builds the social connections essential for lasting recovery.

Skills development, from budgeting to employment, addresses the practical barriers that can trigger relapse. When women lack basic life skills or financial stability, the stress can overwhelm early recovery efforts. Higher Ground’s holistic approach acknowledges that overcoming substance use disorders requires addressing every aspect of a person’s life.

Expansion Plans

Supporters aspire to open more Higher Ground homes elsewhere in the region, potentially extending this model of women’s addiction recovery to other communities devastated by the opioid crisis.

What these women are gaining, Kingsolver observed, “is not just sobriety, but belief in themselves.” That transformation, from shame and isolation to confidence and community, represents the ultimate goal of effective recovery support.

The Higher Ground story illustrates how creative solutions, community support, and adequate resources can provide pathways out of addiction. It demonstrates that recovery is possible when women receive not just treatment, but genuine support for rebuilding their lives.

As Parsell noted, the strength comes from working together. When challenges arise, someone in the community of seven has the solution. That collective wisdom and mutual support may prove the most powerful tool in addressing substance use disorders, one woman, one community, at a time.

Source: CBS News