Review: Where Crawdads Sing

Like others, I suspect, I put this one off. I prefer other genres and wasn't eager to jump into a long novel when I was in the middle of producing my own. But 4.8 stars on Amazon and Oprah's blessing are hard to ignore, so I made an exception. I'm glad I did. I found Where the Crawdads Sing, the debut novel by Delia Owens, every bit as poignant and captivating as most readers say it is.

The story begins in 1952, when Kya Clark, a girl of six, is abandoned by her mother, her siblings, and finally her abusive father. After trying and failing to make her peace with the outside world, Kya raises herself in a shack in the wilds of coastal North Carolina. What follows is a coming-of-age story that spans two decades.

The story is implausible at times. Kya, dubbed "The Marsh Girl" by her many detractors, never gets sick, even though she has never been immunized. She never gets pregnant, despite dabbling in unprotected sex. And she becomes the published author of several reference wildlife books, despite the lack of a formal education.

But these flaws did not hinder my enjoyment of a story that grabbed my attention from the first chapter. The depictions of life in a small Southern town in the 1950s and 1960s are first-rate. So are the descriptions of the plants and animals of the exotic and sometimes forbidding wetlands. Throughout the book, Kya, a recluse, is at one with nature, the one thing that never betrays her.

Crawdads is also a riveting murder mystery. When Chase Andrews, a philandering former football star who is obsessed with Kya, is found dead under an abandoned fire tower, all eyes turn toward the beautiful marsh girl. The whodunit is not solved until the last chapter.

I would recommend Crawdads to anyone who loves a good story, particularly one with an appealing, strong-willed female protagonist. I look forward to seeing the movie version. Rating: 4.5/5.