Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Reference Assistant
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Suggested Age: Adult
What is This Book About? Catherine Danielle Clark, “Kya,” “the Marsh Girl” raises herself alone in the North Carolina coastal marsh after her siblings, her mother and finally her abusive, alcoholic father abandon her. Shunned by the surrounding community, Kya manages to fend for herself digging mussels which she trades for food and gasoline for her father’s boat. Kya only attends one day of school in her lifetime, but is taught to read by Tate, a childhood friend of her older brother Jodie. But even without a formal education, Kya learns the ways of the nature and the world from the birds, insects, and other creatures that inhabit the marshes. She becomes an expert on the ecology of the coastal region. When a local resident known to have associated with Kya is found dead beneath the fire tower, she becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation.
My Review: I loved this book. It was an amazing blend of natural history, poetry, and excellent storytelling. It is also a masterpiece in character development. Kya as a character is one that will not be easily forgotten. Her strength and ability to raise herself with minimal human interaction is not always totally believable, but the prose and poetry of the story is woven together so well that I as the reader was willing to suspend logic and believe in Kya’s abilities. The other characters, Tate, Jumpin’, Mabel and Chase were also very believable and true to their surroundings. I can definitely see why the book was a New York Times bestselling title in 2019 and highly recommend it.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Poetic, Intriguing, Graceful
Give This a Try if You Like… Books by Barbara Kingsolver or Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
Rating: 5/5
