#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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Lyrical writing, strong natural setting, with a little mystery with a twist thrown in. My book club composed of all retired librarians rated it our favorite read of the 2019 year.
I really liked this book, but I wanted more from the male characters and the hometown folks. It was really well-written, but a little sad for my taste.
Extraordinary!
I truly liked it . Very different from any book I have ever read. Well worth reading.
Unique and thought-provoking. I appreciated that the story shines a light on how tragedy and outcast status doesn’t negate one’s intelligence and creativity. The story reveals the ugly prejudices of a population as well as the wonderful acceptance and care of others. It also takes us through journeys of failures and forgiveness. It was hard to put down; I only wish the culprit (can’t give away the story) was someone else. (who knows why a different book is attached to this book title. weird).
Rating: 5.0/5.0
Genre:
Historical
Synopsis:
This is the story of The Marsh Girl right from her childhood when she was abandoned by her family until her adulthood. Kya Clark’s story is an extraordinary tale of courage, loneliness, isolation, love, and warmness. Loved by two different guys Andrew Chase & Tate, Kya has lost faith in other people who always leave her eventually.
Book Structure:
The book is around 370 pages divided into 57 chapters. It is a third person’s narration. The story follows the main protagonist Kya from childhood to her adulthood.
“Over the years the mysteries of her story became legend, told over and over with buttermilk pancakes and hot pork sausages at the dinner.”
This is one of those books that are hard to review because I feel I cannot make enough justice to it. The writing is so lyrical & beautiful, be it the beautiful descriptions of the settings and nature or the detailed layers the characters had. They all merge into one marvelous piece of art literary fiction.
The story is very emotional and readers will root for the main character and sympathize with her for what she had to go through. It can be slow at times, but I feel the slowness of events at times helped me as a reader to feel the loneliness of the character.
Besides the main character, there are many side characters that one will love. The author did a great job in giving all these characters different shades of insecurities which is something very human. The other highlight of this book is the multiple important subjects it tackles subtly like human’s connection with nature, family, and the outer world.
The Marsh Girl has won my heart! Delia Owens has one new fan. I have to get and read her other books. If you have not read Where the Crawdads Sing yet you should do that very soon. You won’t regret it. This book was nominated as one of the best historical fictions in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2018. It was the fifth most voted book for that award. It’s 5 stars for me.
I liked this book. The plot had twist and turns and the ending surprised me.
If you haven’t taken the time to read ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’, you need to read it. It is a heart wrenching story. This book is the first book I have read in a day. Hardly stopping for anything.
How she survived on her own in the marsh is amazing. What she went through and taught herself. The heartbreaks she faxed would have literally disabled most of us.
From the first pages, you are taken into the marsh lands of North Carolina. Delia Owens wrote vividly, so you felt you were there. Owens made it seem that you felt the sand between your toes, the cool water, and the gulls landing near you. She was very descriptive and her we are transported to the marshes.
This book is a must read. It needs to be on everyone’s TBR list.
Excellent story with a great plot. I enjoyed the story all the way through from start to end.
fantastic book
Wrapped in exquisite descriptions of life in the wilds of a North Carolina marsh, this profoundly moving story of an abandoned girl and her long struggle for survival and love is a masterful achievement! With flawless words that soar like the marsh birds, the author weaves a tale of Kya’s heartbreaking loneliness in a place where marsh creatures are her only friends for years. But her mysterious beauty eventually draws the interest of two young men from a nearby town–with deadly consequences.
Gripping suspense and compelling courtroom drama kept me turning the pages until way past midnight, when the stunning conclusion took my breath away! This unforgettable story of a woman’s deepest yearnings and darkest secrets richly deserves its bestseller status and the many thousands of five-star reviews, to which I gladly add one more. Highly recommended.
People say you either love this book or you hate it. I can’t say I hated it, but I didn’t love it either. I really liked it, though. I found it to be quite original and I enjoyed the simple love story between Kya and Tate. Nature can easily be listed as one of the main characters here, but I did tune out a bit when the narration seemed to go on and on. The murder mystery was my incentive to finish. The ending bothered me. Being an author, it’s not my way to question the decisions another writer chooses to take with his/her work. I question the way Owens chose to end this story.
Slow start but once the story started to build I found I couldn’t put it down. A little of everything in this one, suspense, romance, nature lovers, coastal small town, hardship and heart break. As the story of the Marsh girl came to an end, I felt I was saying goodbye to a kindred spirit.
An excellent book about a girl growing up alone in a NC marshland and how she survives and grows up to be renowned about birds. Includes a murder mystery. I didn’t love the very ending but the story was worth it.
Wonderful and unique coming-of-age story!
Delia dances with prose. Nothing about reading this book was hard work.
Many kinds of a book rolled into one. Great character development amidst the beautiful descriptions of the marsh of Barkley Cove. Couldn’t put it down.
Beautifully written
This might be my favorite book EVER!
I loved this book. I was reading as part of a friend’s book club and it hooked me. The details of nature and the marsh were some of my favorite parts as you dive into Kya’s secluded world. I did not expect the ending and it left me shocked!