Set in a small coastal community of North Carolina, ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ is the story of a young woman named Kya Clark who practically grew-up on her own in the wild marshes of Barkley Cove after she was abandoned by her family. The story begins in 1969, when a young man named Chase Andrews is found dead and 23-year-old Kya, who is known as the “Marsh Girl” in the locality, is suspected of his murder. While the police gather evidence against her for the crime, the story flashes back to Kya’s childhood when she was just six-years-old to narrate her side of the story. Kya was abandoned by her mother and was left with her alcoholic father, who also disappears from her life. She grows up alone and ignorant as her only reference point for all this while is nature and her surroundings. As fate would have it, she is befriended by a nice boy, Tate Waler, who teaches her to read. They grow-up and he goes off to college, thus losing touch with her. That’s when Kya meets Chase and so begins their turbulent relationship, which has now made her a prime suspect for his murder. The story ends with the readers being curious to know if Kya killed Chase and why, or is she a victim of circumstances.
This evocative debut book has been in The New York Times best-sellers’ list and was also picked by Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon’s online book club in September 2018. In fact, Witherspoon’s banner Hello Sunshine will also produce a feature film adaptation of ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’.
How critics view the book:
Kirkus Review says, “Despite some distractions, there’s an irresistible charm to Owens’ first foray into nature-infused romantic fiction.”
Marilyn Stasio wrote for
The New York Times, “The wildlife scientist Delia Owens has found her voice in WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (Putnam, $26), a painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature.”
Mark Lawson wrote for
The Guardian, “Surprise bestsellers are often works that chime with the times. Though set in the 1950s and 60s, Where the Crawdads Sing is, in its treatment of racial and social division and the fragile complexities of nature, obviously relevant to contemporary politics and ecology. But these themes will reach a huge audience through the writer’s old-fashioned talents for a compelling character, plotting and landscape description.”
Publishers Weekly says, “Kya makes for an unforgettable heroine. Owens memorably depicts the small-town drama and courtroom theatrics, but perhaps best of all is her vivid portrayal of the singular North Carolina setting.”
Tobias Grey from
The Wall Street Journal writes, “With ‘Where the Crawdads Sing,’ a debut novel goes big.”
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