In this story of survival, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens follows an outcast known as the “marsh girl”. Abandoned by her entire family, Kya Clark is left to fend for herself with no one to protect her but the lush marsh she calls her home.
The novel commences in the 1950s when Kya was a little girl. Her abusive father drove her mother and Kya’s four other siblings into fleeing, and eventually left himself. With no education and no family, Kya explored the depths of the marsh, teaching herself how to live in harmony with nature. Despite her isolation, Kya meets Tate, a boy who shows her true kindness and respect. Tate becomes Kya’s mentor, lover, and friend for years, until he abruptly breaks her heart and diminishes her trust in others.
Throughout this tale, Kya experiences heartbreak after heartbreak that leaves her broken and lonely. Somehow, she still finds the will to better her life. Kya takes advantage of the marsh and catches fresh fish every day which is how she earns money. One of her hobbies is studying and drawing the wildlife, which eventually leads to her being asked to publish her findings. The money she earns is more than enough to renovate her run down shack, and finally being able to afford basic items she was deprived of for so many years.
Owens also smoothly intertwines a murder mystery into the plot. The victim, Chase Andrews, is the star football player and regular ladies’ man. Kya has watched and admired him over the years from afar. Until one day, Chase looks back, and suddenly forms a relationship with Kya. From the beginning, it is clear Chase is keeping Kya a secret from his friends and family. Although Kya questions how much Chase cares about her, she still welcomes the attention and affection that she missed, which emphasizes how lonely Kya truly is. When Chase is found dead, his history with Kya is brought to light, and all of a sudden she becomes the primary suspect.
Including Chase’s murder was an ingenious way for Owens to connect Kya’s past to the present. The way in which the story is told is captivating and suspenseful, leaving the reader’s mind blown once they reach the end. The complex yet lucid plot twist is one of the most admirable parts of the novel.
Throughout the novel we see how Kya’s mannerisms and actions mimic the animals in her surroundings. There are a myriad of references to the behaviors between wildlife, and how Kya sees these interactions being reflected in her daily life. The most relevant relationship is between predator and prey. Her whole life, Kya has been the prey, considered weak and incompetent. By the end of the story, she gains a new confidence and finally has power over her predators.
My favorite part of this book are the short poems Owens includes in the chapters. All of them are connected to nature in a way, yet have perfect analogies that relate to what Kya is going through. There are some specific poems that foreshadow revelations in the novel, which I enjoyed rereading once I finished the book, and realizing the hints Owens’s subtly included.
Overall, what makes this book groundbreaking is the immersive and poetic imagery Delia Owens uses. Her writing style is like no other, engrossing readers by the first page. Her vivid description of the setting and Kya’s interactions with the environment are simply beautiful and emotional. Most might believe a story with nature will have a main character that is a snooze, but they will be proven wrong after reading this novel.