Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing

by Delia Owens

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING PHENOMENON—NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!
More than 18 million copies sold worldwide
A Reese’s Book Club Pick
A Business Insider Defining Book of the Decade 

“I can't even express how much I love this book! I didn't want this story to end!”—Reese Witherspoon

Painfully beautiful.”—The New York Times Book Review

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens.

Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

Reviewed by Leigha on

4 of 5 stars

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Kya Clarke grows up on her own in a marsh in this beautifully written historical mystery.

My book club pick for August! I was a little nervous reading this book with all the hype surrounding it, but it turned out to be an engrossing page turner. The heart and soul of this book is nature – it’s beauty, it’s cruelty, and it’s cleverness. The author is a wildlife scientist, and her prose of nature, habitats, and animals shines. I’d be interested in reading her nonfiction novels just to see if they are as beautifully written.

The story focuses on Kya, a young girl abandoned by her family at an early age in the coastal area of North Carolina. Kya’s ability to overcome her circumstances, to learn to survive off the land, is admirable. She’s a survivor – of neglect, of abuse, of the system, of society. It’s hard not to like her. Her relationships with others, particularly Tate and Jumpin, are endearing and sweet. I was pleasantly surprised at how much romance plays a role in the novel.

The narrative is split between Kya growing up and a current murder in the town. While the murder mystery was interesting, it was Kya’s development from child to adolescent to woman that kept me reading. I will say I had mixed feelings about the ending. It does wrap up everything, but it’s too spot on to make it truly memorable.

tl;dr Well-written prose and a memorable protagonist make this book club darling truly memorable.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 28 July, 2019: Finished reading
  • 28 July, 2019: Reviewed