Where the Crawdads Sing: Delia Owens Paperback – 12 Dec. 2019

This is the story of Catherine, known as Kya by her family and Marsh Girl by everyone else.Kya has lived in the Marsh on the edges of town her whole life. Her mother leaves when she is just a young girl and she waits days for her return. Her older siblings also drift away one by one until all that is left is Kya and her father. Kya's father has been invalided out of the army and is a mean drunk, often disappearing for days leaving Kya with no money. But Kya has learnt to survive by herself. No one knows the marshes quite like Kya - and though she can't read, write or add up past 29 she knowns the birds, shells and fish by sight. She has learnt to read the weather and the tides like no one else.Set across two different time frames: 1969 and 1952 onwards, we flick back and forth between the two times. In 1969 the body of the town heartthrob, Chase, has been found in the marsh. With no fingerprints, no footprints and no clues, the police have little to go on - but then Chases' mother comes forward looking for a necklace that Chase always wore - at least, always wore since the marsh girl gave it to him. Now Kya is in the frame for his murder.The other parts of the novel all move us towards the death of Chase as we learn about Kya, her life and relationships and how the townspeople view her. From her friend Jumpin' and his wife, to her first love Tate - a boy who has dreams and ambitions that threaten to lead him away from the marshes.I did not expect to like this book so much. I tend to stay away from bestsellers as I often find that I don't like them - but this book I absolutely loved! I loved the gentleness of it, I loved the character arc for Kya, I loved her as a character - she felt so real! I loved the natural elements of the marsh and how it was so beautifully described that I could almost see it.Honestly, I did not know whether Kya was guilty or not - and the twist at the end was good even though I was just slightly ahead of it.All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys gentle, sweeping fiction.

'Where the Crawdads Sing' begins with the discovery of a body - always a promising start for a novel. The setting is the rural swampy North Carolina coast in the 1950s and 60s. The dead man is a popular figure in the nearby small town, and the number one suspect is the 'Marsh Girl' - a young woman who has grown up alone in the swamp after her family all left. Self taught, courageous and resourceful, Kya is far from the savage that the gossipy townsfolk imagine. But prejudice is powerful and Kya is not well equipped to defend herself. Will Kya end up formally accused of murder - and if she does, will it be wrongfully or not?I knew the reputation of this book and expected it to be good, and my expectations were met. It's perhaps a bit more descriptive than my preference, but that's just personal taste. The characters are interesting and likeable or even loveable. The swamp and its wildlife seem to come alive through Owens' prose. The narrative jumps about between the past - telling the story of how Kya came to become the 'Swamp Girl' - and the present as the police investigate the murder. This works well and provides a good level of tension. Both stories are intriguing and compelling in their own right - Kya's history, and the gradual unfolding of the murder mystery.It's a very gripping novel - I read the last half in a single several-hour sitting, and not because I had nothing else to do (once more, the housework went neglected). I really cared about Kya and her fate, and felt strongly the injustice of her situation and life. I have no trouble believing that people can be that prejudiced and close-minded because plenty of real life evidence shows that they are. The narration is in the third person, so the reader can never be sure what version of events happened on the night of the death and whether Kya had anything to do with it or not.I would recommend this to a wide variety of readers. It is really well written and full of great characters and a good plot too. There's enough tension and mystery for those who tend towards crime fiction, but also plenty about people, families, and nature that means this is not a crime novel. It reminded me in some ways of 'To Kill A Mockingbird' - probably the combination of the southern USA setting and the theme of people marginalised and shunned by their community, even to the point of being suspected of a murder. I look forwards to her next book.

Well written and original, gritty storyline. It kept me hooked from beginning to end. A study on the dynamics of relationships and families and trust and abandonment.But it stretches belief about how Catherine could have survived in the marsh at such a young age. Also, that she could have become an expert biologist and painter that she even knew the latin names of plants/animals. In addition, it seemed a convenience that she could become so successful so that she could survive financially.I disliked the ending but I can see how it neatly completes the story and allows the heroine to have revenge. I felt it was unnecessary and too neat. I think that Chase's death would have been better left as a mystery, perhaps with Tate wondering but without being sure.Having said all of the above I really enjoyed reading it and felt that the descriptions of the.marshes and wild life were beautiful and evocative.I would definitely recommend it.