Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

 

   I might be one of the last to read Where the Crawdads Sing,     a best seller published in 2018,, 368 pages and then more notes from the author.  I have so many books to read off my shelf from sales that I seldom buy new fiction but this is one I recently purchased.  Being a widow alone so much of the time I really related to this story about Kya, a young girl., abandoned who survives all alone in a North Carolina coastal marsh.  In the prologue the author explains that a marsh is not a swamp.  I  appreciated that because I do know the difference but many wouldn't.  After I read about the author's background I understood why she has introduced the story this way. I  copied the prologue first page below. 

in her letter to readers at the end of the book, author, Delia Owens shares "..we may long to be in a group, but we can find  unbelievable strength deep inside to survive, even thrive, when we are alone." While I do not long to be in a group, and find most big groups tedious, I have a group through my church, but I would like to have companionship, a widow's lament.  So I related to Kya although her circumstances as a young girl are very different.  

Reviews and excerpts abound online about this book, so I will not repost those here.  I did struggle along keeping interested through the middle of the book, but staying with the tale paid off.  It picks up and the story turns and twists.  It is part mystery, part love story, part nature, human nature, part courtroom drama, and above all affirmation that in spite of all, amidst human indifference and sometimes human cruelty, life goes on.   In the author's conversation with the readers at the end of the book she explains that "isolation affects human behavior."  "Instinctual behaviors born from isolation allow Kya to survive and protect herself.  But more....confidence she gains from self reliance permits her to soar with personal achievements beyond what she could imagine...."  Although fiction, but based on nature, a10 year old abandoned girl survives showing us  "what can we be when we have to be."  

In brief, they live in the marsh, poor family, the father is abusive and the mother leaves, abandoning the children, escaping...the siblings leave one by one and this leaves Kya with the father who stays until she is 10 and then leaves as well.  The only ones who truly show her kindness and care are old  Jumpin' and his wife Mabel, who are  blacks that  run an old bait shop and live rough lives as well. Mabel provides clothes for her but Kya determines to trade them smoked fish.   Tate is a local boy who teaches her to read but he ultimately leaves for college and Kya is alone again.  Ultimately she takes up with Chase Andrews, the young man about town and there the twist begins.  When Chase is found murdered and the sheriff is stumped but determined to find the killer  "the Marsh Girl" becomes the suspect and finally they arrest Kya.  The murder trial is suspenseful.  Meantime one brother, Jodie has returned for periodic visits, he has been in the Army and is now stationed at Ft Benning, GA.  Tghe mystery continues and not to spoil it but Kya triumphs , found not guilty and returns to her marsh.  But this time Tate soon follows, he is a biologist and employed by the University lab.  Kya becomes a published author about the marsh and is able to finally have electricity and running water  and renovate her shack.  She keeps the old woodstove though, just in case Ma returns.  Meantime, Ma, has passed away and Jodie  has  to share that news with her.  Ultimately Tate stays with Kya until the end.  

I give this 4 1/2 stars ****   the half because I did struggle to stay with the story as I mentioned.