Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens

Book Review, thecozybookblog.com

Where the Crawdads Sing is the debut novel by Delia Owens and a coming of age story about an abandoned little girl and her journey into womanhood. Set in the fictional coastal town of Barkley Cove, North Carolina, the book begins in 1952 and spans fifty-seven years.

Kya, known as the “Marsh Girl”, lives with her family on a marsh in a dilapidated shack. When Kya is six, her mother abandons the family in order to escape her husband, a physically abusive alcoholic. Then, one by one, Kya watches each of her older siblings leave as well. Shortly thereafter, her father is gone too – leaving Kya completely alone to fend for herself.

When Kya is left to raise herself, she learns self-sufficiency at a young age – digging mussels, living off the land and utilizing the few domestic skills she learned from her mother. In her isolation, she connects strongly with nature, and the gulls become her new family. When Kya must sometimes travel into town via her small boat to sell mussels and buy groceries, she endures cruel reminders of her place in society from townspeople. Barefoot, dirty, and hungry, she often receives looks of disgust and hears herself being referred to as “marsh trash”. During the course of this novel, however, we do see Kya grow into herself, and she makes a few positive human connections along the way. She is helped by a local couple, Jumpin’ and Mabel who, like Kya, understand the pain of social stigma all too well. She also finds love and acceptance from Tate, the son of a fisherman, who befriends Kya, visits her often, and even teachers her to read.

Years later, it is 1969 and tragedy rocks this quiet town. Chase Andrews, the handsome, popular son of a wealthy local couple, is murdered. With few clues and an abundance of speculation, Kya becomes the target of an investigation that will change her life forever.

I am impressed that a debut novel offers so much. The visual imagery alone took my breath away. I can understand Kya’s decision to never leave the marsh. Despite the loneliness and the stigma, it was a beautiful place – one of peace and tranquility that I could feel and breathe within the pages. What I loved most about this novel was the depth of Kya’s character development throughout the book. Kya begins as a frightened child, rejected by her family and unwelcomed in society. Then we watch her evolve into a beautiful, strong, intelligent, independent woman of substance. We see her survive the unthinkable, and later thrive in spite of it.

The wide range of themes provide a novel that is relatable to almost everyone. Alcoholism, abuse, and the breakdown of a family. Romance, murder, racial intolerance and the ever-present line in the sand between the haves and the have-nots. Poverty, social hierarchy, and stigma so cruelly defined an innocent little girl, and it was that same prejudice that later put her on trial for murder.

While I absolutely loved this novel, I do admit to finding Kya’s ability to care for herself at such a young age to be a bit unrealistic. A six year old would be developmentally, emotionally and physically ill-equipped to survive life on their own under any circumstances. Still, it is so easy to overlook this because the book drew me in like a magnet and didn’t let go from start to finish. Where the Crawdads Sing is extremely well-written, multi-themed and seamlessly transitions through decades of a woman’s journey. I am excited to hear that a movie about Kya’s experience will come out later this year, but I always recommend reading the book first. I completely enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing and I look forward to reading more from Delia Owens. Bravo!

“She (Kya) could read anything now…and once you can read anything, you can learn everything.” – Deila Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing

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