Where the Crawdads Sing By Delia Owns – Book Review

‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ is about a young girl surviving in the marshes outside a small southern town during the 1950’s and 1960’s. She is shunned by the local towns people because of her marsh living conditions and other misfortunes that life has dealt her. Katherine Clark longs for family, someone to love her and that she can love in return. Kya, as she was nicknamed by her mother, spends her days learning about nature and the wildlife in the marshes, collecting shells along the beaches, and boating in the surrounding waters. She stays clear of the people in town but does become friendly with an African American family who runs a small store nearby. The family, who all too well knows about segregation issues in the south themselves, gives assistance to Kya where needed and without a feeling of charity.

Through her growing up years she is befriended by two young boys from town, Tate and Chase, both effecting her life in quite different ways. As they emerge into their young adult years one of the boys is found dead in the marsh and suspicion falls towards Kya. An investigation begins. Was it an accident or was there really a murder committed in the marshes? Will the towns people come to know ‘the marsh girl’ as the quiet shy childlike person she appears to be? This is a beautifully written story that everyone will enjoy. I could hardly put it down it was so good.