Where the Crawdads Sing: Reese's Book Club (A Novel)

Delia Owens

Aug 2018 · Sold by Penguin

About this eBook

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE—The #1 New York Times bestselling worldwide sensation with more than 18 million copies sold, hailed by The New York Times Book Review as “a painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature.”

New York Times Readers Pick: 100 Best Books of the 21st Century 

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.

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.

Ratings and reviews

I actually saw the movie by myself(a common occurrence for me even in relationships)I absolutely adore nature and I could relate to a lot in this book..domestic violence,abandonment,when she got into her Art,and just having to take care of herself so young after her family left her alone,the movie was awesome and I'm so looking forward to reading the book..I could just relate in so many ways it was a serious emotional rollercoaster..the scenery was awesome (even though I really don't care for the swamps)been to them in Florida..the story makes me want to go back to the swamps because I would see more of the awe of it..OMG...I absolutely loved it(left with puffy eyes from crying at certain points..I felt this story in my very soul.

There are few words to describe the beauty behind the words of this novel. I have developed a deep love for the marsh girl, and even though she doesn't exist. To some degree, she is all of us. At some point we have all felt abandoned, we have all felt alone. She was never really alone, and that is what made this novel so special to me. I wish I could give a broader description of how amazing this book is. I'll just leave it with this, no matter how abandoned you feel. You're never truly alone.

Enjoyable, mysterious, and gripping. I started reading this book because I planned on watching the movie, I enjoy reading books that have been turned into movies prior to watching the movie. This book had me hooked with the building love story and the mystery of the murder. I felt happiness, anger, all while I was playing detective to decide if she was guilty or not. I enjoyed this book and I can only hope the movie is half as good.

About the author

Delia Owens is the coauthor of three internationally bestselling nonfiction books about her life as a wildlife scientist in Africa. She holds a BS in Zoology from the University of Georgia and a PhD in Animal Behavior from the University of California at Davis. She has won the John Burroughs Award for Nature Writing and has been published in Nature, The African Journal of Ecology, and International Wildlife, among many others. She lives in the mountains of North Carolina. Where the Crawdads Sing is her first novel.