Nature had nurtured, tutored, and protected her when no one else would.”
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is officially labeled as a mystery novel but in reality, it is much more. Owens combined a mystery crime story, with romance and historical fiction to create a beautifully shocking coming-of-age novel. Beginning in small-town North Carolina in 1953, Kya lives in an old run-down shack with her parents and older siblings. Eventually one by one all of her siblings just disappear into the marsh until she is left only with her alcoholic father with a history of abuse. She is essentially forced to learn how to live on her own, having never gone to school, with little money and food. Once her father abandons her as well, she becomes known as “The Marsh Girl” because she is rarely seen in town. The novel then flips to 1969 where a murder is being investigated involving The Marsh Girl’s secret wealthy lover. From then on each chapter flips between her childhood years and 1969. Throughout all of this, we get to see Kya grow from a naive, abandoned young girl, to a striking young woman trying to escape all of the preconceived rumors and assumptions behind The Marsh Girl.
I couldn’t put this book down and finished it in two days. It was just that good. Each chapter in the present left me wondering what was going to happen next, but in order to learn more I had to gain details of the past through flashbacks first. I loved reading Kya’s story and seeing her character develop through abandment issues and really make something of herself despite her less than ideal childhood.
The only recommendation I have is to make sure to read the book first before you watch the movie. I made the mistake of watching the movie first before I read the book. It completely spoiled the shocking ending and left me regretting my decisions.
If you enjoy coming of age stories mixed with vivid descriptions of the beautiful North Carolina marshland and all of the creatures with in it, this book is definitely for you.