Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
Why not put your feet up and entangled yourself in a captivating novel this summer? Nothing beats that holiday feeling of relaxing in your favourite chair and starting the next chapter. Endorsed by none other than actress Reese Witherspoon who has taken on the rights to turn Where the Crawdads Sing into an onscreen must-see, this is one you’ll want to bring to book club.
Novelist Delia Owens has crafted a must-read. A wildlife scientist, she has written an intriguing murder mystery that takes the reader on a journey through twenty years of our protagonist Kya’s flashbacks. Set in North Carolina, this novel delves into the misanthropic aspect of acquiring animalistic life skills and the challenge that poses when adapting to human society. Throughout the tale, readers are taken on a spectacular journey through swamplands full of nature and wildlife.
Left to fend for herself against her alcoholic father at six and orphaned by ten, Kya is labelled ostracised by local bullies. In response, she turns to her surrounding wetlands to learn about relationships and social connection. As she learns, her instincts are heightened, and her hunter-gatherer skills develop. But her observations of animal relationships often misguide her ability to form human connections. Which is where Owen’s brings the lush wildlife and beauty of the swamp to life.
Kya’s struggle for social survival continues as she reaches her teenage years in the late 1970s. And it is here that our murder mystery begins.
This book circles back and forth throughout Kya’s life to weave together a story of murder, ostracization, and connection. Be prepared, you may not want to put this one down!
You can buy the book here from The Paperback Bookshop.
