Plano Reads: Where the Crawdads Sing

Read our review of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, a Mystery Book Club pick for November.

You can join us to virtually discuss Where the Crawdads Sing on November 19 at 7 p.m. using Zoom! Register online here.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Currently available through the PPL Catalog as well as OverDrive and the Libby app.

Description from OverDrive

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.

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.

Where the Crawdads Sing is a sweeping tale of nature, love, loss and murder. Kya’s coming of age while surviving on her own in the marshland of North Carolina is heartbreaking, yet her love of nature and all of the creatures that share the marsh with her is fascinating. Owens’ career as a wildlife scientist shines through in her descriptions of everything from shells to fireflies.

While I wish the story focused a bit more on the murder mystery, Owens writing and the narrative structure kept me intrigued throughout. Fans of Amy Greene and Gabriel Tallent will fall in love with Kya’s story.
Emery, Librarian

Delia Owens is a wildlife scientist and has been well-known for years for her nonfiction writing. Owens co-authored Cry of the Kalahari, which details her work in Africa and won the John Burroughs Medal in 1985. Where the Crawdads Sing is her debut novel. Learn more about the author on her we b site.