Audio Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

How long can you protect your heart?

 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 Karen Russell, 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.

 Audio, Unabridged, 12 hours 12 minutes

 Published August 14th, 2018

by Penguin Audio

*****

I remember when this book first came out and it was a Reese Witherspoon pick, at the time it did not interest me. I read the blurb and thought meh, it wasn’t really historical so I never gave it another thought. As time went on with all the hype I still was not drawn to this book at all. Now many, many months later it is still highly recommended and still has the buzz on social media. Finally a couple weeks ago when one of my favorite bloggers (yes I'm looking at you Laurie The Baking Bookworm) highly recommended it curiosity took overtook over and on impulse, I grabbed the audiobook from Scribd - I knew I had a couple of long drives ahead of me and figured why not.

The reader is Cassandra Campbell, to say she is a favorite is an understatement, she breathes life into everything I have heard to read.  I was enamored right from that first chapter. If you’ve read the book you will know what I mean.

With vivid details of what the marsh is like, with its lack of development and raw nature I felt the author vividly described life for Kya. The prejudices of town folks felt authentic, the story itself was intriguing. The dual time period stories added that mysterious element that was necessary.

Where the Crawdads Sing is a wonderful coming of age story, it's about survival and longing in a world you were thrust into.  I have a hard time grasping that this is the author's debut, well done Delia Owens!  I will definitely be on the lookout for your next book.