Happy Monday! Today I have a review of Where the Crawdads Sing, publishing on August 14, 2018 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons. I am super excited to share this one with you because it is on my favorites list for this year. The writing is lovely, and the storytelling is brilliant.
My Thoughts:
Barclay Cove is a quiet place along the North Carolina coast. I tried to imagine this setting and time period, as someone familiar with the area, and I could not quite fit where it was in reality; however, using the author’s extraordinary gift for description without being overly flowery, in my imagination, I can perfectly picture the mysterious marsh.
The book begins with the story of Kya, a young girl whose mother walks out on the family, leaving the children to fend for themselves with an alcoholic father who is absent most of the time. Not to mention the fact that they live in the inhospitable marsh as squatters (there are, indeed, small settlements on the North Carolina coast today that were founded my “squatters”).
Kya’s siblings are older, and they flee, leaving her alone with her father. She learns to care for herself at a young age because she has to. Kya is uneducated by choice and circumstance, though the town attempted to get her to attend at first. Even without schooling, she is sharp and caring, as she learns the ways of life through the marsh and all it has to teach her.
For years, Kya lives this way and is known as the “Marsh Girl” by the townies. When a young man of the same age is found dead, everyone in town assumes it must have been Kya, and fingers are pointed. She has been involved with two young men who were entranced with her, but was Kya involved in the death of Chase Andrews?
Where the Crawdads Sing is a glorious and equally somber coming of age story for Kya. Though she was called to a different life from the one she has always known, how much will her upbringing continue to control who she is? The writing is exquisite, the setting atmospheric on a grand scale, and Kya is a strong and unforgettable character I wanted to hug. Overall, I simply adored this book. I was immersed completely in Kya’s vibrant world, and my heart ached at every turn. The ending is memorable, and the messages are strong. Beautiful nature and a captivating story.
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis:
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.
Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, 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.
Have you read Where the Crawdads Sing, or do you plan to? Have you read any southern fiction favorites? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR
Oh, lookie, you finished it! This looks like a very interesting read. I don’t think I can read my copy in time, but I definitely will. 😊
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Rachel, I hope you love it when you get to it! I am sure the publisher and author are happy with a review to come in, no matter the timing. 😊
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This sounds just wonderful and I think it is on my TBR shelf. Thanks once again for a great review!
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Thanks, Marialyce! It is so, SO good. I think you are going to love it!
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Another great historical fiction recommendation from you. I read The Bookshop at Water’s End. Happy Monday!
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Thanks, Virginia! I have wanted to read that book by Patti Callahan Henry for a while. I hope you enjoyed it, and happy Monday to you! ♥️
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… So because she’s uneducated and around the same age as the dead guy, she must have killed him? Sounds like some sound logic, there! 🤔😉
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And she had this mysterious way of living in a place where no one else did…and a couple other things I didn’t want to spoil, but still, you are absolutely right, they were wayyyyy too quick to rush to judgment and assume things about her. She’s really an amazing character! ♥️
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This sounds like a very good book, suspense at it’s best! Have a great Monday honey 😊
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It was such great storytelling, Jody! I absolutely loved it! I hope you have a wonderful Monday too! ♥️
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Wow what a review! Yes I plan on reading this one thanks to you!💖😊
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Thanks, Sus! I have an easy prediction- you will adore this book! Gosh, I want to read it all over again! I look forward to your thoughts. Xo 💗
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Great review!
I haven’t heard about this book at all, but it has piqued my interest.
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Thank you, Siobhan! It’s a lovely story I think many will love.
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You’re welcome ☺️
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Okay, you’ve hooked me 🙂
Love that title, by the way!
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Yay, Jacquie! I hope it’s a great read for you! I love the title, too. Definitely a standout.
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HA! You said it, our TBR’s are the same! I’m reading this one too, but I won’t have it finished by tomorrow since I couldn’t put down The 7 1/2 Lives of Evelyn Hardcastle over the weekend (I totally had the release date 2 weeks ahead of schedule, ugh) and then started The Glass Ocean! I’m trying to get everything read so I can go on hiatus the rest of this month through the beginning of Oct, but I’m not sure how well that’s working out. But I loved your review and this is a wonderful book from the small amount that I’ve read. I’ll have a late review, but it will get posted eventually!
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Thanks, Stephanie! That is too funny about us reading yet another book together! I am sure it will be just fine to finish after pub date. It will keep the buzz going if you end up loving it. I am hearing good things about Evelyn Hardcastle lately! I look forward to your thoughts on it! Good luck with your reads and working towards your break! I think you can do it! ♥️
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You’re welcome! It is! I hope not; I think I’ve only missed 2 publication dates since starting my blog last year and that’s when I was on a medically ordered hiatus right when I was diagnosed with Lupus. I actually just got this ARC on Friday, so it wasn’t originally on my schedule for reads/reviews this week, or I would have read it weeks ago. You’re probably right though, that it will be fine! Evelyn Hardcastle was indescribable. I’ve never read anything like it before. I didn’t know if I liked it at first, and then I couldn’t put it down! Thank you! I’m hoping to have all my August reads reviewed by Sun and go on hiatus starting Monday. I have 3 books to finish and several others to review, so I might be overreaching. We’ll see! But thanks for the vote of confidence! ❤
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Another really interesting book! Loved your review!💜
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Thanks, Berit! I think you’d love this one. This is just the kind of character you would enjoy and great storytelling, too. 💗
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Sounds like another great recommendation from you! But I have to ask… what are crawdads??
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This is such a lovely read, FF! Crawdads are crayfish/crawfish. They are essentially a freshwater lobster. Do you have them in Scotland? I think we call them crawfish around here…but crawdads makes for a better sounding title!
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Ah, yes! We call them langoustines – borrowed that word from the French, I imagine! Crawdads sound much more approachable… 😉
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I loved Where the Crawdads Sing, too! Your review summed it up so well. I think loads of people are going to adore Crawdads. It’s getting a lot of well deserved buzz. My review will post on Thursday.
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Thank you so much, Susie! I will plan to visit your review on Thursday- can’t wait! I think you are right- this one should get lots of love.
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Kya sounds like an interesting character and I like the sound of the setting despite the judgemental residents. Glad you enjoyed this one, Jennifer. Great review!
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Thanks so much, Diana! Kya is a character to love even with being a little rough around the edges.
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Thanks for this mindful review, Jennifer. I don’t tend to enjoy “somber” but the title is so terrific that I might have to give it a try. Hugs.
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Thank you, Teagan! I love the title too. I think Kya will give you enough moments of charm that hopefully it won’t be too overly somber. ♥️
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This one is getting a lot fo buzz. Very good write-up on it. I’m interested!
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Thanks, Paul! I hope it’s a good read for you if you give it a try. I think it’s buzzworthy!
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