The first novel of retired wildlife biologist, Delia Owens had rather low expectations by publishers. Within a year and a half, Where the Crawdads Sing had topped the Sunday Times bestsellers list, sold over four million copies, and earned Reese Witherspoon’s stamp of approval, as she added it to her acclaimed book club and with her production company, won the film rights to it.
Atmospheric and tumultuous, Owens’ writing is dreamy. She creates a sublime narrative which tells the story of an isolated girl surviving on the fringes of society in North Carolina during the 1950s and 1960s. Against the backdrop of racial and social strife, the narrative follows Kya, viciously pegged the “Marsh girl” by the narrow minds of townsfolk.
Owens switches between two timelines: 1952-69, beginning from the moment Kya’s Ma leaves the family, and 1969-onwards, when town star, Chase Andrews is found dead and Kya is accused of his murder.
The first timeline describes how Kya grapples with being abandoned by her family, soon becoming self-sufficient with the help of an old family friend. Exploring the Marsh leads Kya to Tate, a local boy a few years her senior, who becomes intrigued by the “Marsh girl”. Her existence becomes legend in Berkeley Cove, the fictionalised local North Carolina town.
The second timeline describes the discovery of Andrews’ body and how the townsfolk implicate and accuse Kya. Owens speaks to the consequences of this rural small-mindedness and tendency to scapegoat those deemed socially or racially inferior. Owens does not let the readers forget the reality of what life was like in North Carolina in the 1950s and 1960s.
Jumping back and forth between the two timelines until they finally intersect creates a sense of hopelessness for Kya. There is an inevitable sense of dread, as we anticipate heartache and loss. Every happy moment she shares with Tate or around the Marsh is fleeting. We know it will not last.
Throughout, Owens never fails to pay homage to the natural world in which she sets Where the Crawdads Sing. She crafts an ethereal setting that comes to life, becoming a central character in its own right. You can visualise a brewing love affair between Kya and Tate, all while the autumn leaves “swirled and sailed and fluttered” around them, a “flash of golden leaves across the slate-grey skies”. The story and its characters grip you, but the filmic scenery allows the tale to fill up in your head, creating vivid images that stay with you after the final page.
Over the lockdown period, it was moving to read a novel of raw loneliness where the protagonist finds solace and comfort in the natural world, having been rejected by the bustling world of people. Bereft of a loving family, but in abundance of the beauty of nature, Kya gives herself a purpose and something to strive for in life when she begins publishing reference books on the living creatures in the Marsh. Cut off from the outside world, Kya had to look inward.
Where the Crawdads Sing will transport you, move you and stay with you. Owens creates complex characters and an original storyline that feels like it is from another time, yet it deeply resonates today. With its appreciation of nature and celebration of humanity, Where The Crawdads Sing is a rare gem of a novel that will truly remain a timeless piece of storytelling.
Words by Kim Singh-Sall
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