I started Where the Crawdads Sing (purchase here!) after an Instagram friend asked if I’d like to do an Instagram Live with her, discussing it (find that live here!)
The first few pages didn’t have me hooked, but I was quickly convinced that this would be one of my favourite historical fiction books ever. All the book clubs recommend it, it’s on all the reading lists, and now I know why! And you can too… just keep reading.
Synopsis:
Set in North Carolina, in the 60s and 70s, Where the Crawdads Sing is a historical fiction, romance, murder mystery. It follows the coming-of-age story of Kya, an abandoned, lonely girl who spends her time in the nearby marsh, with the wildlife. Isolated from society, a friend teaches Kya to read. She develops an interest in biology and poetry, using it to try and make sense of the world around her. As Kya grows up, her life and relationships grow more complex, but just as the novel’s romance truly develops, Kya is put on trial for murder.
Author’s background:
I was intrigued to learn about the author’s background. Not only is Delia Owens’ life fascinating, but it exposes the ways in which this book originates from reality.
Delia Owens wrote two other books before Where the Crawdads Sing, both non-fiction accounts of her and husband’s time in Zambia (where they lived for 20 years). Their time there was difficult, thwart with poverty, but opened them up to encountering the wildlife so extensively they have been compared to Jane Goodall. A great deal of the Owens’ time in Zambia was spent thwarting poachers and protecting the wildlife.
“despite being set in a different place and time, her bestselling novel contains striking echoes of those volatile years in the wilderness”
https://slate.com/culture/2019/07/delia-owens-crawdads-murder-africa.html
The most interesting part is that Delia Owens and her husband cannot return to Zambia because they are wanted for questioning in a murder investigation.
This murder investigation is related to their battle against the poachers, which grew violent, and eventually resulted in a human causality … which was caught on camera during the filming of a documentary. Shortly after investigators requested the footage, the Owens left Zambia for ‘scheduled leave’, never to return.
(These facts were taken from The New Yorker, and you can read their story in more depth here).
The similarities between life and literature appear deeper than setting, as Delia extends her love for the wilderness into this work of fiction as well as her involvement in a murder investigation.
Meaning of the title:
The title is a contradiction, really. Kya’s mother told her to go into the woods and listen for the crawdads. But, crawdads don’t sing. Kya’s mother wanted to her to listen to the wild. In essence, Where the Crawdads Sing
“Just means far in the bush where critters are wild, still behaving like critters.”
Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing
It means going so far into the woods, you can only hear the woods.
My thoughts:
First of all, this book is heart-breaking, and if you’ve heard of it you might have already heard it described as such. For me, it wasn’t the type of heart-breaking that made me cry (I never even came close), it was more the type of heart-breaking that saddened me softly. The terrible events of the novel are interwoven with beautiful descriptions of nature. I think this is what makes the book easier to read … less sad, and more beautiful. Kya gives the reader moments of contentment and wonder. I found myself enthralled by a landscape I had never stepped foot in, and I imagine you will be too.
“I wadn’t aware that words could hold so much. I didn’t know a sentence could be so full.”
Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing
Kya says this when she’s learning to read, and I genuinely feel that Owens’ writing is capable of teaching any reader this. The book is full of intangible depth, and meaning that requires one to read and then re-read a sentence.
“‘There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.’”
Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing
I don’t consider myself as someone who can’t survive without the wild, but this book touched my wild side, and made me want to be outside.
Kya spends a lot of time on her boat, and it was the descriptions of the nature she observed while boating around the swamp that were especially evocative for me. There were times I felt like I was actually floating through shadowy water. Although I’ve never been to North Carolina, never been to these marshes, my brain combined my own memories of canoeing with Owens’ descriptions. For the first time in a while, I was reminded of my favourite thing about books: their ability to transport you worlds away.
The other thing that really stood out to me about Where the Crawdads Sing is Kya’s inspiring independence and self-determination. The essence of her character was very inspirational to me. I’d love to be that self-sufficient, that brave, that in-tune with the world. Kya made me want to get out into nature itself.
That being said, against all odds, Kya does eventually learn the importance of connection, of friendship and of family. The quote in the picture below stood out to me especially. It was really touching, but I was a little disappointed that Kya never really found girlfriends of her own. I would say this is probably the sole flaw I might identify in this book – the fact that this idea of female friendship was never really returned to.
What about you? What did this book make you want to do?
Favourite or forgettable?
Favourite this time! I loved the twists and turns of this story. I loved the luxurious descriptions of nature that managed to transport me to somewhere I’ve never even been.
I imagine also that Where the Crawdads Sing would be a particularly brilliant book to listen to as an audiobook, so if you’re looking for a good audiobook, I definitely recommend this.
If you loved this, read this:
- The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes (purchase here!)
- The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (purchase here!)
Do you have any other book recommendations for me? I’m really in the mood to read some more historical fiction, and I appreciate any suggestions!
Note the amazon purchase links in this post are affiliate links. This means that, should you purchase the books through my link, I earn a very small commission! You don’t pay any extra!