Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens, is not an action-packed chase story nor is it a chipper fairytale that makes you want to eat glitter. Where the Crawdads Sing is more of a subdued book, yet it can still pull you in, which I think is a sign of a good book.
One of the features of this book that I really liked was that the author intertwined two stories. One about the main character, Kya, and her life growing up in the marsh from childhood to young adulthood, and the other, a murder mystery of a well-known town resident--his body found floating face up in the murky waters of the swamp. The story begins in the year 1952, when Kya is just six years old. Kya has lived in the marsh all her life and even though there is a small town right next to it, the marsh is still this secluded area where there are very few residents besides the animals and plants that also live there. Throughout the book, the birds, the water, and all of the other nature the marsh holds has been the most stable thing in Kya’s life. Her family had left her one by one to escape from her violent, alcoholic dad. With no other close relatives or friends besides her father who wasn’t reliable, she looked to nature as a sort of guidance and support, and isolation and survival became what she knew best. From then on, we, the readers, grow up with Kya and experience her hardships as an abandoned young girl in the marsh. That is, until the year of 1969, which is when the two stories merge. When investigating the possible manslaughter, Kya becomes the main suspect.
While we are reading about Kya’s lone survival, the author has also interspersed chapters of the unexplainable murder. As the stories get closer and closer to each other, the author adds more chapters of the 1969 event. Weaving the stories not only adds an extra element to the book, but it also kept me in suspense because at the end of a murder chapter, I wanted to know what more the donut-eating police officers had discovered. But then, the author would switch back to Kya’s story, which just as easily pulled me in.
When I thought about Kya's isolation and her main goal being survival, it reminded me a lot of our situation now, with COVID-19. What is different, however, was that Kya tries to escape the feeling of loneliness by immersing herself in the outdoors and creates this deep connection with nature and her surroundings. Unlike Kya, we try to stay inside as much as possible because for some, they find it comforting, but for most, it’s because they are forced to. I found it interesting how our situations have similar restrictions and motives, but our modern obstacle is what makes it also different.
I think this is a book that many different readers can relate to. The reader is not only just reading about a survival story, it also feels like an experience, and I was sad to put it down. I would highly recommend it.
Author, Delia Owens, when she was younger:
Meeting a book with multiple intertwined stories is not easy, and from my experiences of reading Refugee and other books similar to Where the Crawdads Sing, these novels are the ones that grip our attention without any auxiliary extremity added to its genre. Aside from the unique format of the Where the Crawdads Sing, its connection to our lives is pulling me towards the book, as both Kya and we are amidst of a struggle for survival. I might check this one out soon!
ReplyDeleteThis seems like such an interesting story! I've only read a few books that intertwine multiple stories, but I'm always fascinated by them. It is also interesting how different the points of view stories can be, but they all usually have a common theme!
ReplyDeleteMy mom just finished Where the Crawdads sing, and she also really recommends it. Kya sounds like a very interesting character, and I enjoy reading books with multiple stories, so I'll definitely check it out!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds great! Intertwined stories must be hard to write without being confusing, or being more invested in one story than the other, but it sounds like Delia Owens did it very well. This sounds very interesting, I might check it out!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds really interesting, I like the idea of having intertwined stories. I also really liked the way that a relation between the events in the book and COVID-19 was discussed in this post. I think this will be a really interesting read, I'll have to make sure to check it out!
ReplyDeleteIntertwined stories is a really cool aspect in a book, and I agree it does pull the reader in. The two stories both tell their own tale, which can be confusing sometimes, but if done right make a wonderful story. I'll have to find this book and check it out!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds very interesting and I like the fact that you find it relevant to our situation today with the pandemic. I'd love to read about Kya's isolation and how she behaves throughout the book.
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