Where the CrawDads Sing
Author: Delia Owens 🟣 Fiction 🟣 Published: Aug 14th, 2018 🟣 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! 🟣 Review Date: Dec. 19th, 2023
Delia Owens mesmerizes in her debut novel about the majestic marshlands of North Carolina and the unconquerable human spirit.
Photos by Carmen Perez | @Carmelita.87I couldn’t review this book without featuring the wetland that outskirts my home of Laredo, Texas, the Rio Grande. Please enjoy these photos of the riverbank of the Rio Grande.
As a former geography teacher, I was completely enamored with this book for its captivating and lush depiction of the marshes of North Carolina. This book combines so many things that I enjoy: geography, murder-mysteries, history, romance, and stories of the unconquerable human spirit. Reading this novel took me back to a time in my childhood when I was enthralled by the insects, birds, and flowers found in my backyard and being lulled to sleep by the sound of cicadas through my open bedroom window in the springtime. When I need a peaceful moment, sometimes imagine I am sitting outside grandmother’s porch watching fireflies light up her beloved garden during a warm summer night.
This book transported me back in time, meanwhile taking me to place I have never been, due to Delia Owen’s exquisite way of illuminating the beauty of the marsh. Owens provides such intricate detail about the marshlands that she turns it into a formidable character within the story that provides both isolation and sanctuary to an abandoned, lonely young girl, Kya Clark. Nature is wild, ever-changing, sometimes violent, and unpredictable, just like humanity oftentimes is. Dubbed by the townspeople as the “Marsh Girl”, Kya’s situation is so forgone that the only people that show her compassion are a lovely black couple, shop owners of a tiny store on the outskirts of the marsh.
Isolated from the town, Kya seclusively navigates its marshes and the unjust societal norms of the 1960s until one day she is accused of murdering the town's golden-boy. Who really murdered the handsome and devilishly charming Chase Andrews, and why? This coming of age story is tragic and unforgettable, demonstrating the power of prejudice, unconditional love, and resilience. The ending had me sobbing and wishing I could spend more time with Kya, her beloved marsh, and its majestic creatures. This novel services as a reminder to protect our disappearing wetlands to sustain endangered wildlife and critical flood protection.
Challenges:
Book 44 out of 100
2023 BeatTheBacklist - "All The Nature Vibes”
2023 Popsugar - "Book with Alliteration in the Title”
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