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 kimbacaffeinate on

5 of 5 stars

Share
The story that unfolds is told in two-parts meandering back and forth between the two. The author cleverly weaved the murder-investigation throughout the story of Kya’s upbringing letting the reader/listener wonder how and when these two threads would converge.

Kya Clark, dubbed the “marsh girl” by the locals lives in a shack setback in the marshes off the coastal shoreline of North Carolina. This first part of the story begins in 1952 when Kya is just six-years-old. She was born in the marsh and lived with her family until one by one they all left. She raised herself among the gulls and shells. Her connection to the marsh and her story is told with breathtaking prose. This character driven novel had me stopping and sitting as I listened to the narrations of Cassandra Campbell who beautifully captured Kya’s drawl.

The second part of the story occurs in 1969 when the town’s former football hero, Chase Andrews, is found dead beneath the local watch tower. Before too long, Kya is arrested for his murder.

The two threads eventually merge and honestly one held no weight over the other. I felt comfortable and riveted by both threads. While one is suspenseful, it had a southern feel to it and unfolded slowly and built as evidence and accusations were made.

Every once in a while a book comes along that sticks with you and changes you in subtle ways; Where the Crawdads Sing is one of the those books. If you enjoy audiobooks, this book was made to be listened to and Campbell does a fantastic job bringing Owens beautiful prose and characters to life.

While I listened, I ended up buying a hardcover copy to add to my bookshelf so that I could pull it down and read memorable passages again and again. There is a beauty and richness to Owens’ words I will always treasure. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 20 June, 2019: Finished reading
  • 20 June, 2019: Reviewed