Genre: Contemporary
Book Type: Physical
Author: Delia Owens
Pages: 384
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Later Printing edition (August 14, 2018)
Book Description:
For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.
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 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.
Thoughts:
“Instead we labeled and rejected her because she was different… But did we exclude Miss Clark because she was different, or was she different because we excluded her? If we had taken her in as one of our own – I think that is what she would be today.”
Wow, just the most powerful statements in a book that capture the essence of this beautiful story. It is a well told novel of a girl who is outcast and isolated and yearns for human connection. Kya lives among the animals and life of the marsh, and finds a way to survive.
When the star quarterback is found dead, everyone is quick to point to the Marsh Girl. The story is told in alternative time periods of Kya’s history and upbringing, with the present day investigation (and then trial) giving a picture of events that lead up the present day. I have so much sympathy for this strong, incredibly intelligent woman who longs to fit in but is most comfortable alone. She yearns for love, but unfortunately has not had very good examples of what that looks like and fears abandonment. It is such a heartbreaking story of judgement, society, misconceptions, stereotypes, expectations and survival.
This story took a little bit of time to build and get into, which is why it wasn’t a complete ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, but I am glad I read this and still would recommend this book for someone looking for a good story on a wild and carefree spirit, full of beauty that doesn’t want to be contained.
As stated in the book and said best, “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.”
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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