I had heard of the book Where the Crawdads Sing but my reading of it came about quite by accident. Here in Australia (and perhaps such things are world wide), there are book cupboards(called Street Libraries) in shopping centres and outside schools and in suburban streets where people can deposit or swap (for free) their books. I was depositing a few books in the one at the Napier St shopping strip in Strathmore (a Melbourne suburb) when I got into a conversation with a lady and she pointed to a copy of this book and suggested I would enjoy it.
I certainly did and knocked it over in a couple of days. It was that sort of book that you can't put down once you start.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a 2018 coming-of-age murder mystery novel by American zoologist Delia Owens. The story follows two timelines that slowly intertwine. The first timeline describes the life and adventures of a young girl named Kya as she grows up isolated in the marshes of North Carolina. The second timeline follows an investigation into the apparent murder of Chase Andrews, a local celebrity of Barkley Cove, a fictional coastal town of North Carolina. By April 2023, the book had sold over 18 million copies. A highly praised film adaptation was released in July 2022.
It's a story of hardship, isolation, courage, endurance, and overcoming prejudices. It's a story of of drive, strength, accomplishment and determination, despite the odds. It's a beautiful story on two fronts - an ode to the marshes and the abundant life therein, and a love story every bit as true as it is tender. And it even has a tantalizing murder/mystery to spice things up, with a twist at the end.
Definitely a 5 star read and probably the most enjoyable and satisfying book I have had the pleasure to read this year.
