Review: Where the Crawdads Sing

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The story of Kya Clark, or “The Marsh Girl,” as the locals liked to call her, is a coming-of-age tale of a very resilient and resourceful young lady. Her family consisted of seagulls and the creatures of the marsh. Abandoned by her mother, her siblings, and eventually her abusive father, Kya had to survive off of the land. She wanted to be a part of society, but the townspeople's judgmental remarks and glares pushed Kya into becoming more of a recluse. This story reminds me of Circe, by Madeline Miller, a girl who was used and abused but in the end became resilient and unstoppable. There are a few key people that Kya allowed in her life, two of whom she fell in love with, and one of whom was found murdered. Of course, the people in the small town in North Carolina pointed at Kya because she was so different. With complex characters (specifically speaking of her parents), abandonment, infidelity, heartbreak, revenge, and mystery, this book can seem like a “soap opera” but none-the-less a great one. In fact, it is so widely loved, it is being made into a film (Thank you Reese Witherspoon!). I recommend that you read this book before you see the movie adaptation of Delia’s New York Times bestseller, Where the Crawdads Sing.


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