Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens –384 pages

Book Blurb:

For 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.

My Review: 5 stars

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Where the Crawdads Sing had me glued to the pages as I became immersed into Kya’s isolation. The story begs you to think about the definition of a solitary life. How each person, especially women, interprets the feeling of being alone and/or loneliness. What’s the difference? And why do some people prefer it while others abhor it? What if that decision is forced upon you? All that, a romance and a suspenseful mystery, are the reasons this book got a gushing 5 star review!

The writing in this book is pure poetry. Just brilliant. The author uses smart language, develops interesting themes, keeps pacing and tension tight and builds memorable characters. It’s crazy that this is her first debut into fiction writing after her successful career in non-fiction.

In many books with a suspenseful mystery, I can usually presume the ending, however this one kept me guessing, as there were many plausible outcomes. I was connected to the story until the very end and this book left me with a book hangover. I just had to let it settle in my psyche, as I continued to think about it. Overall, this story is an ode to nature. I learned so much about the species around me that I’d never really considered before. I’m grateful for that. I can’t wait to see what’s up from Owens next.

Quotes I liked:

I wadn’t aware that words could hold so much. I didn’t know a sentence could be so full.”

– “Kya was bonded to her planet and its life in a way few people are. Rooted solid in this earth. Born of this mother.”

– “Within all the worlds of biology, she searched for an explanation of why a mother would leave her offspring”

-“When you can feel the planet beneath your toes and the trees moving about, you must listen with all your ears, and — I promise — you will hear the crawdads sing. In fact, it will be a chorus.”

– “Ya need some girlfriends, hon, ’cause they’re furever. Without a vow. A clutch of women’s the most tender, most tough place on Earth.”

– “Time ensures children never know their parents young.”

– “She’d given love a chance; now she wanted simply to fill the empty spaces. Ease the loneliness while walling off her heart.”