#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING PHENOMENONMore than 6 million copies soldA Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club PickA 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 ReviewFor years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet … 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.
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A remarkable, enjoyable novel.
With lyrical writing, Delia Owens’ debut novel transports readers to a small North Carolina coastal village surrounded by marshes. The villagers are intrigued by those who by necessity or choice live in the marshes, yet are more comfortable with turning a blind eye to the needs and doings of those living in isolation so nearby.
It’s a harsh life there, and many eventually leave the marshes for one reason or another, running away from or to something. So it comes to pass that the only one left living in the marshes is a young girl, Kya, ten. We first meet Kya in 1952, when she is six years old, living with her parents and four older siblings. By 1956, all of them have left, and Kya is on her own. She went to school only one day in her life, but the village children and parents humiliated her so much that she never returned.
The story alternates between Kya’s story, and the investigation into the murder of a local boy, Chase Andrews on October 30, 1969.
This is an engrossing story skillfully told. Owens characters are richly drawn, and it is easy to imagine Kya’s life when presented with phrases such as these:
“The marsh did not confine them but defined them and, like any sacred ground, kept their secrets deep.”
“Kya laid her hand upon the breathing, wet earth, and the marsh became her mother.”
“The lonely became larger than she could hold. She wished for someone’s voice, presence, touch, but wished to protect her heart more.”
“How much do you trade to defeat lonesomeness?”
A beautiful, thought-provoking, and wise book with characters that won’t soon be forgotten. This is a contemporary classic and as such gets a five-star review from me! I highly recommend it!
An emotional ride, this book is at times beautiful, tragic, inspiring, and sometimes provokes anger at the way some people treat others. It is a work of fiction, and I can not vouch for its regional or historical accuracy, but I doubt you will be able to read it and remain untouched. I also believe it is possible for a girl or boy that age to have the basic survival skills. You have only to look at the pioneers and some of the rural areas where everyone in the household had chores and had to contribute to the running of the household. Draw your own conclusions, but I highly recommend it. Poignant and haunting
Everyone was talking about this book and how fantastic it was! You will not want to stop reading it. It will turn and twist till the very last page. You want to stand up and scream at a community that let a young child raise herself in the swamps.
Occasionally, I’ll see someone mention on FB that they are reading this story. I even went to “A” to check out the blurb. I was at work and a gentleman said, “hey, you’re a reader! You need to check out this book. My wife read it and bought it for her sister.” So again, my interest was peaked. I decided to check out my local library, and found that I could borrow an e-book copy, so I did and finished reading it in under 36-hours.
This is a book that was a little slow starting for me, but once I got with the flow and the characters, I couldn’t put it down. The times were tough and so different from today. It was hard to read at times, considering what Kya went thru, but I loved her drive, her love of nature, and “don’t give up” attitude. Several other characters were wonderful and I loved them. And then there were the characters that weren’t so great, but made the story that much more realistic. Where the Crawdads Sing was heart wrenching, edge of your seat, “how’s this going to work out”, and other emotions. So very worth my time reading!
Great book.
This was my best book of last year. I have been reading for 60 years and this book just took my breathe away. Descriptions were flowing, incredibly brilliant, the writing was stellar and so effective. Everyone should read this book.
Have lived in the Lowcountry of SC for 30 years — this book is very much a story of the people who live in the small towns of our area.
could not put this book down. my husband also read it and loved it. we rarely share genres. excellent book.
One of my favorite books of all time.
Loved it! Amazing story. Through tragedy there is triumph! A must read!
This was not my usual kind of read, but I loved it. Slow to start but very clever, and the ending… wow. Can’t say any more without spoilers!
Best book I’ve read in a long time!
Love, love, love this book. My most favorite read this year!!!
Rife with anachronisms and plot holes. Completely unbelievable. Schmaltzy. The author’s descriptions of the natural world were lovely.
Can’t believe I didn’t see the ending coming. Fabulous read, unbelievable ending!
Beautifully written. It has a love stoty, it has poetry, it has mystery, it has it all!!
This book is so detailed you can see yourself in the marsh. You can hear the waves crashing. I just love, love, love everything about it!!!
The best book I’ve read in years. A beautiful, natural read of heartache and redemption.
Loved this book! I read it in two days. A must read.
What a wonderful novel! The writing is superb and the characters leap off the page. We spend a lot of time with Kya, the lonely protagonist, who is abandoned as a little girl in the marshland as one by one her family leave. But she fights to survive, and her life is becomes bound up with landscape and its creatures, which are so beautifully described. Her life begins to move forward as we follow her into adulthood, but she’s abandoned again, and becomes even more reclusive. Then we come back to the murder and the mystery deepens. The ending is unexpected and cleverly done.
This isn’t an ‘all-action’ book, but the way in which the story is crafted makes it a thoroughly absorbing read.