Where the Crawdads Sing

Author: Delia Owens
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 2018
Pages: 384 (12 hours, 10 discs)
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: 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. When the time comes she years to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself up to a new life -- until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, 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 all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

Review: This book was published in August, and almost immediately I saw rave reviews on Goodreads, and in my reading groups and book club. It seemed that everyone was loving it. I jumped onto my library's website to request, and the print book had a million holds on it. I opted for the audio version, which also received a high rating, since that list was much shorter.

I loved the writing style, imagery, and language. It's poetic and beautiful. For example, the opening paragraphs:

"Marsh is not swamp. Marsh is a space of light, where grass grows in water, and water flows to the sky. Slow-moving creeks wander, carrying the orb of teh sun with them to the sea, and long-legged birds lift with unexpected grace - as though not built to fly - against the roar of a thousand snow geese.

Then within the marsh, here and there, true swamp crawls into the low-lying bogs, hidden in clammy forests. Swamp water is still and dark, having swallowed the light in its muddy throat. Even night crawlers are diurnal in this lair. There are sounds, of course, but compared to the marsh, the swamp is quiet because decomposition in cellular work. Life decays and reeks and returns to the rotted duff; a poignant wallow of death begetting light."

The story continues in the same lyrical prose, but the story. The story left me wanting. The author pushed me to the point where I felt like something had better happen or I was going to scream, and then something did. Then it was more of the same marshy grasses, blue skies, and feathers. Just as I was starting to think, "let's move this along," she did.

Authors should never underestimate the power of a good editor. There were contradictions or holes in the details that jolted me out of the story every time. I felt the ending, the last 5-10% of the book were the strongest.

This is a book worth reading, but my favorite of the year? Not even close.