Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Fiction
384 Pages
Published by G.P Putnam’s Sons (14th August 2018)
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My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Everyone in Barkley Cove knows the legend of The Marsh Girl. They grew up hearing about it, catching glimpses of her every now and then. They think they know her, know what she is, who she is, and how she lives, but they don’t. Not really. Kya is so much more than people could even begin to imagine. A soul of nature, with one day of schooling under her belt, she learns about life from the marshlands that she calls home. She is a wild and free spirit, something that is frowned upon in polite society. So, in 1969, when the popular Chase Andrews is found dead, and foul play is suspected, all fingers point to Kya, to The Marsh Girl. People fear that which they do not understand, and that has not been illustrated better than it is in this story.
I had this book sitting on my to be read shelf for probably a year odd. It was one of those Kmart book buys that I saw and thought, hey, it’s a hugely popular book, has been turned into a movie and I’m going to add it to my ever-expanding shelf of to be read. It probably would have sat there for much longer had a wonderful close friend not yelled at me to read it. I’m not kidding either, they yelled at me, at work, in the hardware section that I MUST read this book next after I mentioned having to choose my next paperback read. You don’t get a better book recommendation than that, I can completely understand why I had to read this book. I’ve put off writing this review for literally months as I don’t know that I can put into words how it made me feel, but I’ll try my best.
The story starts when Kya is a little girl, I believe we meet her when she’s only 4 or 5 years old. She lives in the marshlands with a mother who dreamed of more, a father with a severe drinking and anger problem, and her many siblings, of which, one – Jodie, means the most to her. The chapters are told through alternating time periods – Present day 1969 as Chase Andrews is found dead and the beginnings of the investigation of his death and the person responsible begin to take place; and Kya’s life as she is growing up, from that little girl who is soon left alone with an abusive, alcoholic father to a woman who has such a connection to the land and an appreciation for its natural beauty. That which she sees in the flora and fauna that surrounds her. In the seagulls that she feeds each day on the sandy beach near her hut, to the different bird species that inhabit her home. We follow her through the trials and tribulations of a life that no one could possibly assume was easy. One which was so fraught with a fear for outsiders, townies, the pretty people, yet filled with such an intense desire to belong with them, to be accepted by them, to be them. We see the cruelty of humanity in the way that parents pull their clean, well dressed, blonde-haired, blue-eyed children away from her, “stay away from her, she’s dirty”, the humiliation of her being somewhat of an urban legend, one that kids dare each other to knock on the door of. Yet, amongst that cruelty we see the tiny vestiges of kindness, the grocery store clerk who did what she could to make sure that Kya had the bare minimum to survive, even if she couldn’t afford it; Jumpin’ the man who ran the small gas store that boats could use to fill up, and his wife Mabel, who even though they faced their own adversities in a time when people of colour were not allowed to mingle with the whites, and maybe because of this, they treated this strange girl like she was their own. To the little boy, Tate, who first met Kya when they were young, and who grew into a man captivated by Kya’s wildness, her love for the natural world, and the beauty that she became. This story shows us many different facets of humanity, and it does so by showing an honest look at them. This story isn’t a fairytale where the princess waits for the prince to save her from the dragon, it’s one about a lost, lonely little girl who becomes a woman just like any other. One with hopes and dreams, one that seeks love and companionship outside of her animals.
Kya’s relationship with Tate was one that I enjoyed watching blossom, it was a love that was filled with exhilaration, excitement and fear. A love that also turned into heartbreak, a heartbreak that I felt in my soul. Her other relationship was one filled with excitement, lust and longing, a hope that she was enough, could be enough to be accepted. I read this book when I was in the beginning of a tumultuous time in my own life. With a long-term relationship that had come to an end in a fiery explosion of ridiculousness and flames, I, at times, found these parts of the story difficult to read. My emotions were running so much deeper, and I could feel the pain that Kya felt. I could feel the need to be needed, to be wanted and to be seen as being good enough. To have that knowledge that you are worthy. I won’t lie, many different parts of these relationships, I struggled to get through without tears threatening to spillover and soak the pages. Not because of the story so much, more because I could really empathise with Kya’s pain, her heartbreak, and her abandonment. At a time when I would occasionally feel like I was floating out in a vast, dark ocean all alone, some of the words hit very close to home. I do feel that this was one reason that it took me a little while to get through this book, at times I had to put it down for a while because I knew that I wasn’t in the right headspace to be able to read it without causing myself some form of emotional distress. That’s not the only reason though, if you’re looking for a quick read, a light one, an easy one, this is not your book. Yes, it was a page turner in a fashion because I needed to know who was responsible for Chase Andrew’s death, if anyone. But the pacing is very slow, it’s a story that slowly unfolds and paints a glorious picture in water colour ink, splashed across your mindscape, allowing you to hear the bird calls, smell the marshlands, and feel the sand between your toes. While not too over the top with its descriptions, it’s descriptive enough that you feel like you’re there. So no, this wasn’t a quick read for me, but I don’t think it was intended to be. This is a voyage, one that you set sail for knowing that you’re going to hit pockets of bad weather but knowing that you’ll also see a sunrise so breathtaking, that it’ll be worth it.
The characters are ones that I’ve been thinking about since I finished the book months ago. They’re so deep in their construction, and they feel real enough that they could be standing beside me on any given day. The relationships between them so complex, but ultimately the same at their core – a need to be needed, wanted and accepted, just as they are, flaws and beauty all wrapped up into a tattered hand me down dress. Kya’s need for knowledge, not that which can be taught in a school classroom, but knowledge of functional things. Yes, she needed to learn how to read and write, but everything else she absorbed from the world around her, and from those close to her who could teach her what they know. Kya was such a picture of resilience, I wouldn’t say strength so much, but her will to keep going, whether it was in the hopes that her mother would come back if she just held on; or that maybe tomorrow, her father would love her, would show her so by being the father that she needed and deserved; or that maybe she would have a love that was real, one without hidden agendas, one that showed that she was loved for who she was, and not just because she’d grown into a beautiful looking woman.
The mystery in this story was incredibly well written. I thought that I had it all worked out from the beginning, but oh how wrong I was. I did not see it coming. I could not have guessed how the story would play out or what would happen as it reached its climax. And just when I thought that the story was winding down, that it was wrapping up after it brought me to tears, it threw me a curveball that made me gasp out loud. The second that I read the sentence; I messaged my friend because I just could not have seen the story turning out the way that it did. Whether this is because of the answer to the mystery, or for another reason entirely, I won’t say, you’ll have to read it to see.
If you go into this story expecting to be wowed by it because of the hype surrounding it, you’re going to be disappointed, and I will make the assumption that you won’t finish it. But if you go into this story expecting an unfiltered look at the life of an outcast, the life of a person who started so far behind the eight ball that you think they’ll never catch up, one that shows how happiness can be found in the smallest things, things that most of us take for granted. A life that forges an intelligent, artistic, compassionate yet wounded woman, one who embodies a piece of all of us really, the need for companionship, to be understood and to be loved for who we are, to be accepted as we are. The need to be enough. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll enjoy it. If nothing else, maybe this book will help some see that just because it’s different, that doesn’t mean that it’s not beautiful. Maybe it’ll teach some that judging other’s based on their appearance, or race, or social class could mean that you’re missing out on getting to know a wonderful soul. Maybe it’ll teach you nothing, and that’s okay too. If you go away from this book having found it worth your time, that’s amazing, and if not, I hope your next read is better.
I feel like I’ve rambled on enough. I don’t even know if this collection of my thoughts makes sense, but I hope that it was at least able to illustrate that this book was an experience for me. And if all I managed to do was make you laugh at how ridiculous this review turned out, hey, I’ll take it.
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