Kya lives alone in a shack by the marsh, cared for from a distance by a handful of people, all the while earning the title of Marsh Girl – although not earning the harsh treatment that comes with it. Her path crosses with Tate, her first love, and Chase, former high school athlete. They feel drawn to her the way some people feel drawn to the marsh – one as someone who loves it and one as someone who wants to conquer it. Among the gulls and the grasses of the marsh, Kya has learned humanity through the wild things. Can it save her when it matters most?
Written by zoologist Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing is bittersweet and beautiful – my favorite combination in a book.
The story of Kya, left by her mother and siblings to live alone first with her alcoholic father and then by herself, is sad and earnest.
The pace in the beginning of the book is slow, and I think some readers take issue with that. It’s not fast-action thriller but there is enough suspense to draw you in and make your heart pound.
The slow pace in the beginning set the tone for the turbulence of the second half of the book – where the timelines draw closer and closer and everything comes together
Where the Crawdads Sing is Delia Owens’ first novel and I haven’t read any of her other published works, but I feel from this story and based on her career that she is a master at setting the scene and bringing us closer to nature through patience while sharing the beauty of even the smallest creatures.
One cannot be in a rush amongst the wild things.
I also love the poetry that is shared throughout the book, such as this excerpt:
Have you read Where the Crawdads Sing? Did you love it or do you think it doesn’t live up to the hype? Let me know!
Stay tuned for my next Nature in the Novel post, featuring Where the Crawdads Sing!
Happy reading, friends 🙂
I really love this book but I love nature 😁
It’s great for nature lovers!
I loved Where the Crawdads Sing! It was so good!