Where The Crawdads Sing

Author: Delia Owens
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Type: Large Print Trade Paperback
Pages: 484
Source: Local Public Library
Publisher: G.P Putnam's Sons
First Published:
Opening Lines: "1969 - Marsh is not swamp. Marsh is a space of light, where grass grows in water, and water flows into the sky."

Book Description from GoodReads: A novel about a young woman determined to make her way in the wilds of North Carolina, and the two men that will break her isolation open.

For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. She's barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark.

But Kya is not what they say. Abandoned at age ten, she has survived on her own in the marsh that she calls home. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life lessons from the land, learning from the false signals of fireflies the real way of this world. But while she could have lived in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world--until the unthinkable happens. But Kya is not what they say. Abandoned at age ten, she has survived on her own in the marsh that she calls home. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life lessons from the land, learning from the false signals of fireflies the real way of this world. But while she could have lived in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world -- until the unthinkable happens.

My Rating: 5 stars

My Review: This book has received a c-r-a-z-y amount of praise but, for some reason, I hadn't gotten around to reading it.

Now I wonder what took me so long.

The fuss surrounding this book is warranted ... and then some. The writing from this debut author is impressive, beautifully descriptive and atmospheric, bringing readers into the heart of North Carolina's marshes. But it is Kya Clark, known only as The Marsh Girl to locals, and her struggle to survive against all odds and protect what/whom she loves, that quickly connected me to this unique and memorable main character.

For people who enjoy a good underdog story, this one's for you. Kya exudes a remarkable, quiet power, resiliency and strength and I greatly appreciated that her devotion and respect for the environment were such big parts of the story. But if all that still doesn't seem enough for some readers, there's also a riveting murder mystery woven into Kya's story that is slowly unraveled for the reader.

Captivating. Touching, Riveting. Powerful. I'm so very happy this book lived up to its hype.