Title: Where the Crawdads Sing

Author: Delia Owens

Genre: Fiction

Published: 2018

Obtained: Unknown—gifted

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Kya, the Marsh Girl, is no stranger to darkness and rumors. She was abandoned alone in the marshlands near a small town in North Carolina; she grew up depending on herself and figuring out life, largely, on her own. She teaches herself about the land, sea, animals and plants. Though timid and shy, she allows in two young men into her life over time. With the presence of these two men, she also allows herself to dream of a life and love she has never known. Then, one day, the unimaginable happens. Will a town of people who judged and shunned Kya support her when the time comes or outcast her as they’ve always done?

I was super impressed by Where the Crawdads Sing. For starters, Delia Owens has created prose in this novel that reads like poetry. She tells a story that unfolds slowly; she writes with a charm that pulls you into Kya’s lonely and beautifully sad world. She has crafted characters that the reader can relate to and some that might disgust one to his/her core. I really enjoyed this novel.

The voice in Where the Crawdads Sing is amazing. Owens writes so beautifully, that at times I didn’t even care that the story was slowpaced; the words were so vivid I was easily swept into Kya’s home and surrounding marsh. I listened to a bit of the audio version of the book because it really does flow rhythmically to the ears. Kya, though uneducated in terms of schooling, is brilliant. She is observant and detailed in her descriptions. The voice matched the character extremely well.

Though the story flows like molasses initially, it eventually picks up steam. I couldn’t wait to pick it back up and dive back into Kya’s marsh and find out what happens next. The characters were well developed—Kya, her father, Tate, Jodie, Chase, Jumpin’, Mabel. I loved the complexity of her feelings towards her family—especially her father and mother; I think Owens captured the confusion and innocence of a child’s outlook on abandonment superbly. While I couldn’t relate directly to some of the hardships that Kya endured, I could relate to her outlook and see her point of view with much clarity. 

The story itself is engaging. I loved the strength of the main character as she not only figures out life, but also creates success for herself. I enjoyed the graceful way the story develops and how it, somewhere, shifts to being more urgent and heavy. While the ending wasn’t necessarily shocking, it was suiting to the story. Not to mention, there was one detail I did not see coming that sort of made me go back and reread some scenes with the new perspective I found in the ending. Overall, it was a fantastic story that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

I give Where the Crawdads Sing a 4.5/5. The story was engaging and well written. My only complaint was how slow the momentum was at first. I recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good story—there wasn’t as much mystery as I was anticipating, but in the end, I didn’t care. I enjoyed Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc with the book. It was a zesty, citrusy, earthy white wine that mingled nicely with the nature and setting of the book. The flavors of the wine unfold as do the layers of Kya. A good read deserves a good glass of wine, I say! 

Rating: 4.5/5

Wine Pairing: Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc 2018

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