Where the Crawdads Sing

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Delia Owens: Where the Crawdads Sing (Paperback, 2022, G.P. Putnam's Sons)

Paperback, 480 pages

Published June 28, 2022 by G.P. Putnam's Sons.

ISBN:
978-0-593-54035-0
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4 stars (5 reviews)

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.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by …

15 editions

These crawdads are singing a VERY slow song

2 stars

This isn't the type of book I would normally read. My book club selected it. I almost abandoned it at several points early on. It finally engaged me slightly about a third of the way in. It's very well written. I admired that the entire time I was reading it. But it was SLOW!

The book tells the story of Kya, the "Marsh Girl". Her family lives in a shack in a North Carolina marsh. At age 6, her mother and most of her family abandon her. By age 7, her father abandons her too. The book follows her as she fends for herself and grows to adulthood. There are some relationships along the way, if you like that sort of thing. There's even an incident that may or may not be a crime. The latter part of the book revolves around that.

Overall, I don't regret reading it. I …

Review of 'Where The Crawdads Sing' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This drama centers on the mid-20th century small-town southern coastal prejudices against the white trash marsh people. Owens does an excellent job with the setting, employing prose that teems with description, immersing the reader in the ambient. The main character, Kya, is complicated and has secrets that are not revealed until the last page, and I'm not going to spoil any of it. Many reviewers criticize the disparity between the dialogue and the narrative voice. While I agree, I feel this strategy contributes to the unreliable nature of the storytelling.

This is a moving story that I wish I liked more, but part of my enjoyment comes from the ability to maintain suspension of disbelief, and that is the rub: I had a real problem accepting some of the behaviors (mostly how the town reacts to the little girl who is abandoned, how she is scorned, how they continue to …

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