‘Where the Crawdads Sing’, published in 2018, is the powerful debut novel by American author Delia Owens.
The novel is set in the fictional town of Barkley Cove and the marshes of South Carolina, and is both a ‘coming of age’ story and a murder mystery. In the prologue of the novel, the year is 1969, and the body of Chase Andrews, a handsome local man and former quarterback, is found out in the swamp at the foot of an abandoned old fire tower. The inevitable question for the ensuing investigation is did he fall, or was he pushed?
The timeframe of the novel then shifts back to 1952, and the reader is introduced to six-year old Kya, who lives out on the marshes, and is left isolated and alone as she is gradually abandoned by each of her family members. Forced to fend for herself, and to earn money through collecting and selling oysters and smoked fish, Kya learns to find solace in the natural habitat and wildlife of the marshes. Shy, introverted, and independent, the novel charts her journey from childhood to young adulthood, with her observations and understanding of the behaviour of the marshes’ birds and other animals becoming her reference point for navigating complicated relationships with people. This is particularly the case when her life becomes intertwined with those of two young men from the town, one of whom is the aforementioned Chase Andrews.
As the events of the novel unfold, the two timeframes slowly merge, culminating in a bittersweet ending with what was, for me, an unexpected twist.
‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ is a beautifully descriptive novel. Kya is the human protagonist of the story, but the marshland she inhabits becomes a character in its own right, as vivid and colourful as the paintings Kya produces to catalogue her vast collection of feathers and other items. Owens’ language and detail immerse the reader in Kya’s world of channels, beaches, and lush forests; a testament to her talent as a writer and storyteller. The description of the wild landscapes of the marshes becomes all the more powerful when you compare it to the bleak descriptions of the courthouse and jail cells in the latter part of the novel. In terms of artistic form, the novel is also laced at intervals with poems, which serve as a gateway to Kya’s thoughts at that particular point in the novel. For me, this really enhanced the richness of the storytelling, and gave a deeper understanding of Kya’s character development.
As a protagonist, Kya is a valiant, complex and intelligent character that the reader can empathise with and respect. Despite the harsh conditions in which she lives, and the prejudices she is forced to endure from a young age, the story maintains a strong sense of authenticity and realism throughout, without becoming overly sentimental. It is impossible not to relate to Kya’s desire to feel loved and belong to a family, or feel moved by her initial faith that her mother is going to return for her. At the other end of the spectrum, her harrowing experiences during the novel understandably lead her to make some stark, painfully cynical observations. Notably, there is a point in the novel where, on reflecting how both female fireflies and praying mantis attract and then devour their mates, Kya observes that female insects “know how to deal with their lovers”. For the reader, as the story progresses, there is also the underlying, heartbreaking question of whether she is capable of committing a murder.
‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ is a rich, engrossing story of resilience and survival against incredible odds, and the human capacity for love and friendship. It is both suspenseful and poignant, with vibrant descriptive detail and characters that will remain with the reader long after the bittersweet ending.
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