Where the Crawdads Sing
- Author Delia Owens
- Narrator Cassandra Cassandra Campbell
- Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
- Publish Date 15 November 2018
- Run Time 12 hours and 12 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Modern and contemporary fiction, Thriller / suspense fiction.
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What to expect
#1 New York Times Bestseller
A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick
"I can't even express how much I love this book! I didn't want this story to end!" Reese Witherspoon
"Painfully beautiful." The New York Times Book Review
For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens.
Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Celeste Ng, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.
A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick
"I can't even express how much I love this book! I didn't want this story to end!" Reese Witherspoon
"Painfully beautiful." The New York Times Book Review
For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens.
Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Celeste Ng, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.
Critics Review
A painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature . . . Owens here surveys the desolate marshlands of the North Carolina coast through the eyes of an abandoned child. And in her isolation that child makes us open our own eyes to the secret wonders-and dangers-of her private world
Part murder-mystery, part coming-of-age novel, its evocation of the marshland and its inhabitants is as unforgettable as Kya herself. A story of loneliness, survival and love that's as engrossing as it is moving
For a debut the prose is impressively accomplished . . . A Hollywood film seems inevitable. Yet it will be hard to match on screen the delicacy of Owens's exploration of the natural world. Kya and her magical little world are a rare achievement
Kya is a compelling character, Owen's descriptive prose is lushly impressive, and the twist in the narrative's tail is neat
Owens combines high tension with precise detail about how people dress, sound, live and eat - the case studies in her book are both human and natural . . . Surprise bestsellers are often works that chime with the times. Though set in the 1950s and 60s, Where the Crawdads Sing is, in its treatment of racial and social division and the fragile complexities of nature, obviously relevant to contemporary politics and ecology. But these themes will reach a huge audience though the writer's old-fashioned talents for compelling character, plotting and landscape description
For sheer escapism pick up Where The Crawdads Sing . . . there is writing that takes your breath away
All is not as it seems in this heartbreaking coming-of-age bestseller
An Amazon Best Book of August 2018: This novel has a mystery at its core, but it can be read on a variety of levels. There is great nature writing; there is coming of age; and there is literature. Crawdads is a story lovingly told-one that takes its time in developing its characters and setting, and in developing the story. You'll want to relax and take your time as well, and when you're done you will want to talk about it with another reader.
Unsettling and tinged with sadness, yet astonishingly fresh, powerful and mesmerising - with a surprising ending that will haunt you. I couldn't put it down
The strength of the story comes from the sympathetic portrait of its heroine who cannot fail to captivate, right up until the surprising end
Steeped in the rhythms and shadows of the coastal marshes of North Carolina's Outer Banks, this fierce and hauntingly beautiful novel centers on...Kya's heartbreaking story of learning to trust human connections, intertwine[d] with a gripping murder mystery, revealing savage truths. An astonishing debut.
Unsettling and tinged with sadness, yet astonishingly fresh, powerful and mesmerising - with a surprising ending that will haunt you. I couldn't put it down
This lush mystery is perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver
A nature-infused romance with a killer twist
Both a coming-of-age story and a mysterious account of a murder investigation told from the perspective of a young girl...Through Kya's story, Owens explores how isolation affects human behavior, and the deep effect that rejection can have on our lives
Heart-wrenching...A fresh exploration of isolation and nature from a female perspective along with a compelling love story.
A lush debut novel, Owens delivers her mystery wrapped in gorgeous, lyrical prose. It's clear she's from this place-the land of the southern coasts, but also the emotional terrain-you can feel it in the pages. A magnificent achievement, ambitious, credible and very timely
This is a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story, perfect for book clubs
A story that's evocative and sad and with a remarkable heroine
I didn't expect such a beautifully-written, gorgeously- immersive literary novel which is also a page-turner. I spun out the last few pages because I didn't want it to end
User Reviews
The narration was superb and added to the joy of the experience enormously.
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08/04/2024
It was as if the narrator was the writer and each of the characters. Without her the whole experience of this story would have been a lesser journey.
I hope this sounds like a rave review as it has been a long time since I have been so consumed by a work of fiction and I will be revisiting when I have caught up with my sleep. There are passages that can be savoured again and again.
I offer both author and narrator deep gratitude
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04/01/2022
Where the Crawdads Sing is truly a jewel in humanity’s treasure trove of tales.
04/01/2022
It's a fairly simple love story (with a murder mystery sub plot!) but Cassandra Campbell's narration immerses you entirely into the rich world of the American South.
Highly recommend!
29/12/2025
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