Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautifully written, poignant gem of a novel and is honestly one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s the debut book of Delia Owens, a zoologist whose background gives a unique spin on this novel. But before we get into discussing the nitty-gritty aspects of this book, I should give you a brief rundown of the story: starting from a young age (around 7), our main character Kya realizes that there’s really no one left to rely on. Her family members, starting with her mother and ending with the last of her siblings, have all left their home –a run-down shack located in the marshlands– with an abusive father whose only source of income is veteran disability compensations. The story takes place in 1960s-70s America in a sort of small-town, very rural area, where the town’s more well-off residents look down on Kya and disparagingly label her as the “Marsh Girl.” In this environment, in the face of so many obstacles, Kya must learn to survive against all odds, even after her father abandons her as well and she becomes the prime suspect in the murder of Chase Andrews, a promiscuous yet high-status young man in the town.
Firstly, although already written above, I cannot stress enough how beautifully crafted and written this story is. The elements of the story interact with one another so well, and the descriptions of the marshland/swampland ecosystem that is at the center of Kya’s life are breathtaking. The author does a fine job of describing Kya’s experiences and perspectives in a way we can all relate to, and after the first couple paragraphs, the story immediately begins to tug at your heartstrings because inside of it is a tale of a girl whose entire family left her, the facing and overcoming of immense prejudices against her, and the incredible pain of social isolation. This book, this novel, is powerful in so many ways, even with the title.
Now, some readers take issue with some of the dialogue or the lack of logical sense in some parts of the book. I see the value in some of their opinions, although for the most part, I think these criticisms are overshadowed by the masterfully written parts of the book. The fact that the author is able to convey such deep experiences and evoke such strong emotions from readers (at least from me) is a spectacular achievement on its own. As far as dialogue, I felt it to be fine for the most part and not really an issue at all. In terms of logical sense, yes, I saw some flaws, or maybe they weren’t exactly flaws but more things that seemed improbable. (Spoiler ahead!!!)
Certainly, it is remarkable and impressive that Kya was able to survive against odds and have the mental resilience to go through her entire family abandoning her, the man she was first in a relationship with not even formally breaking up with her, and the man in her second relationship being unfaithful to her. Her mental strength is kind of remarkable, to the point where it’s a bit unbelievable. Improbable might be a better word, especially given how Kya is able to stay sane at a young age after her entire family disperses, leaving her alone in a dilapidated shack. Now, I’m no expert in child or teen psychology, so maybe there’s no merit to my criticism here, but despite this, as written above, the shining qualities of this book more than make up for it. I really urge you to try out this book to see for yourself.
At the end of the book, the author basically includes an epilogue that tells readers what happened to Kya and Tate (the man in Kya’s first relationship who Kya eventually ends up marrying) until the age where their hairs have greyed. I’m a bit split as to whether the author should have done this or not. I feel, in a sense, whole and complete, now that I know the fates of Kya and Tate, but on the other hand, maybe it would have been better if the author left it to readers’ imaginations.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a must-read! There’s not a lot of books that I’ve been impacted so deeply by, but this one is truly an exception. It explores a multitude of social issues, has deeply powerful and evocative messages, and the author’s guidance of readers through the experiences of Kya and her life is done at a truly remarkable and genuine level.
By ~ Andrew
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