This is a beautiful though heartbreaking novel, packed with exquisite descriptive prose as it tells a shocking story of abandonment, neglect, survival, awakening and finally hope, and all woven around a murder mystery set in marshlands on the outskirts of a North Carolina coastal town during the 1950s and 60s.
Kya is a shy, skinny six year-old when her mother suddenly up and leaves home - a tiny shack housing a handful of kids, a drunken husband and not much else. Within a few short months, all of Kya’s siblings have deserted her too, until it’s only this innocent little mite and her cold-hearted pa left - and even he’s only there intermittently when alcohol isn’t addling his brain and makin’ him ornery.
For several years, Kya has to fight to survive on grits, a few mussels and not much else as she ekes out a living from the swamp she calls home.
The novel’s pages are riddled with racial tensions and those age-old discrimations simmering between the rich and affluent and that ‘poor white trash’, while bringing to life a story about a young child surviving on next to nothing while harbouring an endless expectation that things will someday get better.
Delia Owens’ characters were all rich and diverse, and each one made me either angry or grateful depending on their role in Kya’s unique and meagre life. Jumpin’ and Mabel brought a glimpse of hope and care into her sad, bleak existence, so much so, I wanted to climb inside the pages to offer them my thanks for seeing a need and doing their best to meet it.
Then there was Tate - I fell in love with this young man right from his first entrance into Kya’s lonely world, despite his choice once he went away to college. A young man who was such a warm light in her personal darkness, and showed a kind and generous heart towards a neglected though resilient young child. Somehow he saw beyond this scruffy waif with nature as her only company - one who knew it’s intricacies better than most - and yet, as a teenager, still had no inkling as to what came after the number twenty-nine. Tate was a true example of being raised by caring parents who taught him to practice kindness, and most especially in one particular portion when Kya was coming of age. I wanted to give him a hug for his sensitivity and concern. He was the kind of friend everyone needs, especially a lonely young outcast.
This was a book I didn’t want to end, although many times my heart ached for this precious little child/young woman alone in that desolate place. It is a heart-wrenching story, yet it’s also peppered with uplifting little nuggets just when you feel your heart breaking into tiny fragments from another of life’s bitter blows falling upon Kya’s scrawny shoulders.
The author’s word pictures were exquisite and my soul eagerly gathered up all of those vivid images she made, like this one....
“She laughed for his sake, something she had never done. Giving away another piece of herself just to have someone else.“
And then there was this longer more poignant piece that had me wishing I was there to eavesdrop and watch everything from inside the shadowy overhang of a weeping willow...
“Kya leaned closer to him, not enough to touch. But she felt a sensation – almost like the space between their shoulders had shifted. She wondered if [he] felt it. She wanted to lean in closer, just enough so their arms would gently brush together. To touch. And wondered if [he] would notice.
And just at that second, the wind picked up, and thousands upon thousands of yellow sycamore leaves broke from their life-support and strained across the sky. Autumn leaves don’t fall; they fly. They take their time and wander on this, their only chance to soar. Reflecting sunlight, they swirled and sailed and fluttered on the wind drafts ... and the two of them leapt and skipped through curtains of falling leaves, reaching their arms wide, snatching them before they fell to the earth...
As she ran back through them, they caught like gold in her hair ... the leaves rained and danced around them as silently as snow … He lifted a leaf gently from her hair and dropped it to the ground. Her heart beat wildly. Of all the ragged loves she’s known from wayward family, none had felt like this…
And for the first time in her life, her heart was full.” (There are more magnificent word pictures nestled in between those ellipses, but I didn’t want to give everything away from this poignant piece of prose ... hopefully, this little skerrick will make you want to read it all for yourself!)
Another portion that grabbed my heart was, “His eyes were the same as they had been. Faces change with life’s toll, but eyes remain a window to what was, and she could see him there.”
The novel’s title sums up Kya’s raw way of life perfectly as the meaning behind the expression ‘Where the crawdads sing’ is ‘...far in the bush where critters are wild, still behaving like critters.’
I take my hat off to the author for writing this both tragic yet moving piece of perfection, and highly recommend it to everyone. Definitely a 10/10 from this awe-filled lover of words, and most assuredly one I’ll read over and over as long as I have breath to do so. It actually took far longer than expected to finish, but only because I wanted to savour every morsel - and some portions were read again and again to grasp every hidden facet purely for the gold found in each one.
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Popular Highlights in this book
She laughed for his sake, something she’d never done. Giving away another piece of herself just to have someone else.Highlighted by 24,334 Kindle readers- Faces change with life’s toll, but eyes remain a window to what was, and she could see him there.Highlighted by 22,733 Kindle readers
- Within all the worlds of biology, she searched for an explanation of why a mother would leave her offspring.Highlighted by 15,708 Kindle readers
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Customer reviews
4.6 out of 5
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633,269 global ratings
Reviews with images
Mystery, Crime, Romance
Why oh why didnt I read this sooner.This is one of those books you put off reading, then you read it and it instantly becomes the top 10 books you have read.Kya aka “The Marsh Girl” is by far the best FMC I’ve read in ages. Strong, determined, strong willed, and a complete recluse.I also watched the movie and was very impressed with how close the 2 were. Its not often a movie and book are close to storyline.Tate, was by far the most loveable and hateable man in the whole series. I wanted her to marry him, then I wanted her to punch him, then marry all over again lol.As for Chase Andrews….. now I have the most mixed feelings over this man. If we really go back to the 70s and the time and place, what was expected of him was normal. Yes he hurt her, broke her heart. But I think he truly did love her, I just don’t think he was ever given the chance to be himself. I think he tried to please his family while having a bit of life for himself with Kya. What he did in the end was so very wrong, but I think he was allowed to actually have his won life it would have never been an issue. As I said mixed feelings. Did he deserve to die? No I don’t think he did. I think he deserved to live with his actions for ever. But I also understand that Kya would have lived in fear.Kya was so smart, even smarter fro someone who never attended school, looked after herself. I love that Tate Taught her to read, helped her become better. I was very sad that he wanted more from her. Im very glad he realised his mistake, little to late in my book, but also maybe at the right time when he was able to give her what she deserved.Highly recommend this book, it will send you down a road of emotions. And try not to throw the book in the last chapter…. When all is revealed!
Top reviews from Australia
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Reviewed in Australia on 31 August 2020
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Reviewed in Australia on 25 August 2023
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Why oh why didnt I read this sooner.
This is one of those books you put off reading, then you read it and it instantly becomes the top 10 books you have read.
Kya aka “The Marsh Girl” is by far the best FMC I’ve read in ages. Strong, determined, strong willed, and a complete recluse.
I also watched the movie and was very impressed with how close the 2 were. Its not often a movie and book are close to storyline.
Tate, was by far the most loveable and hateable man in the whole series. I wanted her to marry him, then I wanted her to punch him, then marry all over again lol.
As for Chase Andrews….. now I have the most mixed feelings over this man. If we really go back to the 70s and the time and place, what was expected of him was normal. Yes he hurt her, broke her heart. But I think he truly did love her, I just don’t think he was ever given the chance to be himself. I think he tried to please his family while having a bit of life for himself with Kya. What he did in the end was so very wrong, but I think he was allowed to actually have his won life it would have never been an issue. As I said mixed feelings. Did he deserve to die? No I don’t think he did. I think he deserved to live with his actions for ever. But I also understand that Kya would have lived in fear.
Kya was so smart, even smarter fro someone who never attended school, looked after herself. I love that Tate Taught her to read, helped her become better. I was very sad that he wanted more from her. Im very glad he realised his mistake, little to late in my book, but also maybe at the right time when he was able to give her what she deserved.
Highly recommend this book, it will send you down a road of emotions. And try not to throw the book in the last chapter…. When all is revealed!
This is one of those books you put off reading, then you read it and it instantly becomes the top 10 books you have read.
Kya aka “The Marsh Girl” is by far the best FMC I’ve read in ages. Strong, determined, strong willed, and a complete recluse.
I also watched the movie and was very impressed with how close the 2 were. Its not often a movie and book are close to storyline.
Tate, was by far the most loveable and hateable man in the whole series. I wanted her to marry him, then I wanted her to punch him, then marry all over again lol.
As for Chase Andrews….. now I have the most mixed feelings over this man. If we really go back to the 70s and the time and place, what was expected of him was normal. Yes he hurt her, broke her heart. But I think he truly did love her, I just don’t think he was ever given the chance to be himself. I think he tried to please his family while having a bit of life for himself with Kya. What he did in the end was so very wrong, but I think he was allowed to actually have his won life it would have never been an issue. As I said mixed feelings. Did he deserve to die? No I don’t think he did. I think he deserved to live with his actions for ever. But I also understand that Kya would have lived in fear.
Kya was so smart, even smarter fro someone who never attended school, looked after herself. I love that Tate Taught her to read, helped her become better. I was very sad that he wanted more from her. Im very glad he realised his mistake, little to late in my book, but also maybe at the right time when he was able to give her what she deserved.
Highly recommend this book, it will send you down a road of emotions. And try not to throw the book in the last chapter…. When all is revealed!
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Reviewed in Australia on 28 March 2024
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Top reviews from other countries
anne_lune
Genial libro. Gran final
Reviewed in Mexico on 27 March 2023Verified Purchase
David W. Johnson
Metaphysical Values
Reviewed in the United States on 14 August 2022Verified Purchase
Ann McDonagh
Well wtitten
Reviewed in Spain on 5 April 2024Verified Purchase
raffestin
Envoûtant
Reviewed in France on 30 March 2024Verified Purchase
Costanza Angeloni
A masterpiece
Reviewed in Germany on 9 March 2024Verified Purchase
