Where the Crawdads Sing is an unusual and captivating read. It's a cross between a coming of age novel, a murder mystery, and a nature study.
Kya's family is known by the locals as 'Marsh People': a derogatory name given to the those who live in the swamp and marshland areas of North Carolina. Kya's father is a violent drunk; when this becomes too much for her mother she finally leaves but without her children. One by one Kya's older siblings leave too and she is left more and more to fend for herself, spending hours each day in the beautiful yet unforgiving natural environment.
A scant half day of schooling and bullying is enough to convince Kya that she does not want to be formally educated, and a time of deftly avoiding the truancy officer follows.
In later life Kya has relationships with two young men: Tate, who loves the marsh environment as much as she does; and later the popular and handsome Chase. When Chase is later found dead the police are not convinced that his death was accidental and a dramatic court case follows.
The other main character in Where the Crawdads sing is the natural environment, which is described lovingly by Delia Owens. It is no surprise to discover that Delia Owens is an American wildlife scientist. She makes some astute observations about male and female animal behaviour throughout the book, drawing comparisons with events in Kyla's life.
Where the Crawdad's Sing is set between 1952 and 1970 with beautiful prose and a folksy Southern dialect. This novel also highlights the bigotry and prejudices of the time. Read it before it is made into a film ( actor/producer Reese Witherspoon has purchased the film rights) and also if you enjoyed Educated or My Absolute Darling. Everything you could ask for in a novel really - great characters, stunning landscape and a clever plot.
Reviewed by Katrina
Catalogue link: Where the Crawdads Sing
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