Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is one
of the best books I’ve read in quite a while. There’s a reason for the buzz and
for it being on the best seller list. It’s a book that you want to start
over and read again immediately after finishing it for the first time. The
blend of descriptions, characters, and plot make you want to turn pages quickly
to see what’s going to happen. But then again, the blend of descriptions,
characters, and plot also make you want to go slowly – savor each moment as it
evolves.
From the cover blurb – For years, rumors of the “Marsh
Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So
in late 1869 when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately
suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl.
Kya’s story is told to us back and forth in time. We see her
survive alone as a child, her nature knowledge a boon. She does encounter some
locals. One, Tate, teaches her to read. Both have a love of the sea and have a
respectful friendship. The other boy, Chase, is a player. Both young men are
intrigued by her wild beauty in different ways. Back and forth the plot reels
us in as the detectives work to uncover clues about Chase’s death. Did he fall
from the tower, was he pushed, what’s the motive? Where are traces of evidence
that could point to Kya or someone else in the town?
Cover blurb – 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 a possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are
forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the
beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.
Here’s a sample of the gorgeous writing – the opening lines
of the book.
Marsh is not swamp. Marsh is a space of light, where
grass grows in water, and water flows into the sky. Slow moving creeks wander,
carrying the orb of the sun with them to the sea, and long legged birds lift
with unexpected grace – as though not built to fly – against the roar of a
thousand snow geese.
Trust me folks – the book is a gem. Wow!
P.S. Thanks Linda Hoffman for sharing this book with
me. Gotta love a fellow reader and good friend.
