#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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This is a book I will think about for a long while, which is good, since it took the author ten years to write. It is a genre-twisting book which makes it truly a unique read. It starts as a literary coming-of-age novel about innocent Kya, left to live on her own in the marshlands of North Carolina aa a young child. Through Kya I re-experienced the peace and solace of nature. But, also the lonely rawness of living in isolation– a major theme in this book. The genre twist comes when sheriffs find a dead body in the marsh, with no clues as to who and why he was murdered. The novel then becomes a who-done-it…and if you are like me, you won’t know.
Every once in a very long while, I begin reading a book and within the first few pages I realize that I have struck gold. “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens is just such a book. From the opening chapter, I was thoroughly and delightfully hooked. What an inspiring tale this is! The writing is beautiful. The writer crafts her words with such grace and skill, allowing each sentence to gently tell the story without clamour, concocting a kind of literary magic. I did not want this book to end, and I eagerly look forward to the next one!
A hauntingly beautiful story so exquisitely written that everything becomes believable. I listened to the 12 hours and 12 minutes of audiobook practically non-stop. This was my New Year’s gift to myself … uninterrupted pleasure. The author’s obviously extensive research brings alive the marshland along the coast of North Carolina in ways that touch all the senses. The characters and storyline are unique and the story evolves in unpredictable directions . I couldn’t stop listening.
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. It has to be one of my top ten favourite reads and I will always have a copy on my bookshelf. The descriptions are hauntingly beautiful; the writing is sublime. It is a book that both praises the human spirit and rails at the cruelty of man. Wonderful. You have to read it. It will make you cry; it will move you and you won’t want it to end.
Where the Crawdads Sing was a difficult book for me to get into. At first, it felt too bogged down with description and I’d find my mind wandering. I’d heard enough good things about it though, that I wanted to stick with it. And boy, am I glad I did. After about 1/3 of the way, I was hooked to the characters, the setting, the atmosphere, and the mystery/intrigue. By the time I got to the end, I didn’t want it to end. Kya was such a strong, resilient main character with a beautiful character arc. The marsh took on a life of its own and actually felt like one of the main characters as well. This book made me laugh and made me cry. I highly recommend this book – just don’t quit before the magic happens.
The first few pages were off to a bit of a slow start, but once I got into the characters I simply could not put the book down. An absolute must read for anyone who enjoys Southern Fiction.
I wasn’t sure I’d like this one but Delia Owens is quite the writer. The world she built for Kia was both wonderful and terrible. The worst loneliness and the greatest discoveries. She showed how a human being can adapt to her surrounding and survive and even thrive. But the writing…was inspirational. A joy to read.
So lovely, poignant, and surprising. Memorable characters—especially Kya and Tate and Jumpin’—and beautiful writing that makes the North Carolina marsh feel like a character too. I’ll be pushing this one into people’s hands for sure!
I loved this book even though it is one of the saddest stories I’ve ever read. Imagine, if you can, that everyone in your life leaves you. Imagine learning to depend on no one, trust no one. Love no one. That is the life of the Marsh Girl.
But somehow she survives. And the author makes her survival believable and beautiful.
There are enough twists and turns and tension to keep you riveted from the first page to the very last. I hope this is only the beginning of Ms. Owen’s career in fiction writing.
4.5 stars. Haunting, beautiful, sad, evocative, lyrical. I was pulled into the story of the “Marsh girl.” An almost perfect book from start to finish. I didn’t have to read much of the book to understand what all the fuss was about. I loved the way the author unfolded the story, including the occasional POV shifts. Because of a couple of graphic scenes, I wouldn’t recommend to younger readers. Despite those scenes and some coarse language, I loved the story and it will linger in my memory.
This is a remarkable and breathtaking book. It’s been a long, long time since I picked up a book I just couldn’t put down, that I read in one heart-soaring sitting, eyes unable to tear away from a story that blooms both viscerally and delicately across a landscape you can almost touch. The writing is stunning, the characters deeply endearing, and the wild beauty of the North Carolina marshland comes through as a sort of feral wonderland that is impossible not to love. It is rare a book truly lives up to the hype, but this is one that feels transcendent as you read it – I couldn’t recommend it more highly, and am already looking forward to a reread!
I couldn’t stop reading this book!
An original coming-of-age story about a girl who grew up in a marsh by herself. The setting of the marsh was mesmerizing, Kya was strong and fascinating, and the plot was satisfying.
I couldn’t put this down. Amazing story, characters, setting. What a tragic and lonely life this child/girl/woman had. And my goodness, what a brilliant mind she had despite going to school one measly day of her life! The devil was in the details and this story was so lush with them, so vivid, so emotionally written and executed. This is one to reread when you’re in a slump. Perfect for a book club read. I can just hear the gushing my local book club ladies would do.
This might be my favorite book of 2018. I finished listening to the audio weeks ago, and yet the writing and the characters continue to linger. Part murder mystery, part love story, part historical fiction, part coming-of-age … there are many layers to WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, but none more powerful and haunting than the lyrical descriptions of the marsh and its wildlife.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that I couldn’t put down. This one grabbed me first with the characters then reeled me in with the mystery.
A young girl abandoned to survive alone in the marshes of North Carolina. A town prejudiced against “her kind”. A boy who reaches out to her and creates In her a love of learning and sharing what nature has taught her already.
Perhaps a murder of a popular young man – who did it if it was done at all?
This is a story of survival, nature, love, family in unconventional forms, friendship, abandonment, prejudice, loneliness, and redemption. I can’t say much more without spoilers…so just read it!
A gorgeously written book involving an abandoned girl living in the marshes of North Carolina known to locals as “Marsh Girl.” I could not put this book down and highly recommend it!
Hauntingly sad, yet somehow also filled with hope. The characters and the locale were drawn so beautifully that I felt like I was living right there by the marsh with Kya.
Stunning. A hauntingly beautiful story that will stay with me. The kind of writing that inspires me to dig deeper, reach higher and find even richer meaning to every word I write.
This has to be one of the best books I have read this year! So heartfelt and tragic at the same time. I wanted to reach out and grab the characters and shake sense into them from time to time. Looking forward to more of her work.
I expected this book to be great, given all the buzz it’s had. The story is engaging and holds the reader’s interest. I was especially taken with the vivid descriptions of the marsh and small-town life in the 1960s. I was halfway through the story thinking how good it was, but waiting for that extra something to make it “great.”
And then it happened…
The last third of this book is what elevates it beyond good story-telling to exceptional story-telling. Where the Crawdads Sing deserves all of the accolades it’s received and more. The characters are ones that will linger in my mind for a long time to come, especially the conclusion of their story. As for the marsh–it became a character in itself. This is a book I can easily see myself going back and reading again.