Where the Crawdads Sing
© 2018 Delia Owens
368 pages
‘There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.’” – Aldous Leopold, The Sand County Almanac
They called her the Marsh Girl. Abandoned in a decaying shack as a child and treated as trash by most of the village, young Kya survives only through her understanding of the wetlands which surround her. In them she finds not only sustenance – mussels and fish, some which she barters for other supplies – but also shelter from the kids who delight in abusing her. But more than that, the wetlands are a constant source of wonder for Kya, who fills her time drawing the life around her and collecting shells and feathers. A rare few people will recognize her passion and potential, and try to nurture her – but others will seek, out of fear or greed, to abuse and destroy her. Where the Crawdads Sing is a fascinating character novel delivered in rich prose that truly immerses the reader in both the marsh and the girl who grew up there.
I described Crawdads as a character novel, because Kya’s struggle to survive, and then to make something of her relationships with the marsh and with a few people around her, makes the novel – that, and its abounding references to wetland ecology. Kya learns to read from The Sand County Almanac, a collection of essays on nature and conversation, and her lifelong deep study of the marsh makes her both the foremost expert in its flora and fauna, and an advocate for its conservation. Both elements of the novel have their beauty; the descriptions of the marshlands are the best I’ve ever read, and I found Kya a fascinating mix of wild and rational. I was wholly invested in her story, never more so when she was accused and hunted for a mysterious death in the marsh.
LOL – I picked this up last week!!
It wasn’t on my radar, but so many people at the library recommended it to me, I figured it was worth a try!
I think Judy reviewed it over @ Keep The Wisdom plus my favourite BookTuber was impressed too. Looked different (to me!) and interesting so….
Ooh! Who’s this booktuber? My habit doesn’t need supporting, but I never mind encountering new sources…
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6wKgH6YIKKfNX9-EN0dxIA
I get quite a few ideas from her. She’s big on non-fiction and manages to pique my interest regularly.
Aannnd she’s already given me a book to investigate, “Jane on the Brain”! Thanks. 🙂
LOL – Indeed. I’ve already added that onto my Amazon Wish List!
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