Where the Crawdads Sing

There are too many reasons to list on why this book is great, but to start: Delia Owens’ ability to write, with such vivid detail, the environment and ecosystem of the marsh where Kya (the protagonist) lives, is superb. The lyrical way she describes light, footprints, birds, insects etc.. are so well done, that I’m tempted to say that the main character in this book is in fact the marsh itself. Early on with prose that includes things like: “Tendrils of mist”, “crawing crows”, “slow moving creeks”, “alone was a feeling so vast it echoed” - I loved the way she writes.

The plot is about Kya, who was abandoned by her family and lives in the marsh. It follows her life as she struggles to survive on her own and grow. There’s some learning to do, troubled romance, and there’s a mystery to solve. Kya surprises you at every turn, and she’s very resourceful. There is beautiful poetry, and interesting descriptions of mating habits of the different creatures in the marsh - very allusive to the plot and overall setting.

I really recommend picking this up, its a fun and quick read that will keep you turning pages. You’ll love the writing and plot, be enamored by the marsh, and will definitely love Kya.

Something I took from this book was the nature of Kya’s isolation, it bothered her at some points, but overall, she learned to make it a useful resource for her own survivability. She would rather live in isolation than live in fear, so she used that to prepare herself, take action, and become useful so she didn’t have to live in fear. I think we can all use that in some way.