Where the Crawdads Sing- Delia Owens

** spoiler alert ** This book is unputdown-able; an absolute page turner.
The riveting writing leaves you digging for answers to the unanswerable.
Where The Crawdads Sing is a murder mystery at some parts and a romance novel and coming of age story in others but at its core it’s a book bowing to the wisdom of nature.

This book is so raw and human. It reminds you just how deep wounds from childhood can be and how they almost always haunt us into adulthood; how the actions of our parents can shape who we become. We are shown how even the smallest act of kindness to an abandoned and guarded heart can change everything. Against all odds, Kya is able to allow herself love despite a lifetime of abandonment.

Where The Crawdad Sing highlights a range of important issues from racial injustice to rape. I found myself in this female narrative, as I’m sure many other women have and will as well. Kya is afraid to speak up against Chase Andrews’ unwanted advances/attempt at rape, knowing she will most likely not be believed. We are living in a time where more and more women are coming out of the shadows to share their stories of sexual assault. This book may serve as a beacon of hope and courage.

Throughout seemingly constant turmoil, hope still shines through these pages. Although things Kya had wished for did not always come into fruition, (the return of her beloved mother, acceptance and a bond and kinship with women) she did find true friendship, even a proper father figure.
Kya also learned to allow herself to be loved and to love in return. The relationship between The Marsh Girl & The Feather Boy is the kind that finds a corner of your heart to dwell in and stays with your forever.

I saw the earnestly of their love shine through with the exchanging of gifts.
A true nature lover knows just how hard it is to part with treasures as precious as a rare shell, a feather, an eggshell, etc. More precious than gold, these mementos were not given away lightly. The desire to bring happiness to one another is so utterly endearing.

Above all else, nature is Kya’s constant, her anchor. It offered her a comfort and solace not found anywhere else. It is this deep respect and relationship with nature that saved her. It is this relationship that allowed her to support herself financially. It is this relationship with nature that saves her time and time again. For in the end, nature will always have the last say.

Did I mention Where The Crawdads Sing is also an edge of your seat court room drama? I can’t boast enough about this book and should really find some forum to discuss more deeply. It checked off all the boxes for me and I know I am already looking forward to revisiting this world again.