#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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Wow! Just wow!! Being one of the first books read in 2019, Where The Crawdads Sing has set the bar high!! I fell in love with the characters. It’s not that the story is full of twists and turns but the story is so beautifully written, tragic and breathtaking all at the same time! A must read!!
This is the story about Kya who lives in the Marsh in North Carolina in the 1950s. She is the youngest child in her family – a family that is extremely poor and undereducated. Her dad is a drunk who often beats his wife and kids barely bringing home any money to support him. One by one, Kya watches her family leave the marsh and not return – starting with her mother, then her eldest siblings, and finally, her brother Jodie who is the closest to her in age. At the age of 6 she is left alone with her father who sometimes comes home/sometimes doesn’t. Kaya starts to figure out how to take care of herself – feed herself and learn to live off the land. She only ever attends school for one day, chosing instead to stay hidden in the marsh.
The book jumps back and forth between the 1950s and 1969 where a young man named Chase Andrews has died. The police suspect foul play – looks like he was pushed off a fire tower near the marsh. The book follows the life of Kaya and the time from when she was little up until the murder of Chase – weaving the story of how she learned to live off the land, meeting Chase and meeting a boy named Tate, and how she tries to discover love and how it fits into her life of lonliness.
Someone recommended this book and so I gave into the hype and read it. It was an okay book. I didn’t love it as much as I was hopping to. The writing was pretty good, but not as great as the reviews made it sound. I agree with many of the 3 star reviews on Amazon that the characters just fell flat. The story jumped all over the place, and sometimes I felt that there were gaps that shouldn’t be there. It was a love triangle that didn’t hold a lot of weight (or make a whole lot of sense), and almost a fantastical story line that is hard to believe.
I don’t want to NOT recommend this book – I may be judging it too harshly. I think overall it was good. I read it quickly – wanting to see where the story was going – not wanting to quit until I had some answers. But I was never in love with the book.
Love the description of the animals and the land. Surprises on every page.
One of my favorite books
So enjoyed reading this book … a perspective on the quality of perseverance and survival in a real world existence … loved that the main character was a female with a positive, strong, winning attitude! Heard that a movie was in the works …
I just devoured this book!
Excellent descriptive writing, characters you can root for! A very wonderful book
This book was excellent.
This has now entered into my Top Five Reads of All-Time. Beautifully written and poignant, I fell in love with the lead character and the author’s writing. The narrator for the audio book was equally impressive and added a realistic vibe to the narration. The whole story was wonderful.
I loved this book. The main character was able to triumph in the face of so many trials. There is also a twist at the end which made it even better for me!!
It’s the best book I’ve read in many years!
Loved the detail and the extraordinary character development in this novel. This is a five star book.
Loved this book. could not put it down and the surprise ending.
Best book i’ve Read in a long time!
Couldn’t put this book down. Wonderful characters and a twist at the end.
outstanding
This book was very different from any I have read lately. I could hardly put it down and at the end I found tears running down my face. It is well worth reading and is highly enjoyable.
I loved this book and recommend to everyone I know. Couldn’t wait to read it and was sorry when I finished it. Have not read anything quite like it before.
Beautiful book …lovely descriptions of nature in the marshes of N.C. and characters you come to love!
In the top 5 of my all time reading books. Can’t wait for the movie. Thanks, Reese!