Audiobook Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Posted August 17, 2021 by WendyW in audiobook review, Book Review, bookblogger / 6 Comments

where the crawdads sing
Where the Crawdads Sing
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

by Delia Owens
Publication Date April 30,2019
Published by Penguin
Purchase Here Buy on Amazon US - Buy on Apple - Buy on Kobo - Buy on Google - Buy at Barnes and Noble - Buy on Waterstones - Buy on Audible
Goodreads
Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction, Literary, Women
Pages: 400
Format: Audiobook

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING PHENOMENON More than 10 million copies sold worldwide A Reese's Book Club Pick A Business Insider Defining Book of the Decade
"I can't even express how much I love this book! I didn't want this story to end!"--Reese Witherspoon
"Painfully beautiful."--The New York Times Book Review
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.


My Review:

I have heard so many great things about Where The Crawdads Sing, that I knew I had to read it, and it did not disappoint.  I will admit I was a bit hesitant to start this book as I’ve heard it was a deep and emotional story and I thought it would be too heavy and emotional for me to enjoy.  Instead, I found it hopeful and inspirational and it’s a story that will stay in my heart for a long time.  I just wish I had read this amazing book sooner! 

Kya, a young girl, lives with her mother, father, and siblings in a cabin in an isolated area of the marsh.  Over time, her mother and siblings leave her in the cabin due to the abuse of her father.  Eventually, her father also leaves and she’s alone, in the cabin at age seven.  Kya learns to survive on her own in the marsh and she learns to rely on nature for companionship.  As she grows up and her survival skills improve she meets a boy, who lives in a nearby town.  The boy, Tate, befriends the wild marsh girl and teaches her to read and write.  They share a love of nature and the creatures of the marsh and eventually they become closer until Tate must leave for college and even he abandons her.  

Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautifully written story that will touch your heart and soul.  The book is about abandonment, survival, abuse, loneliness, and heartbreak.  But, it’s also about strength, love, beauty, and happiness.  The author’s descriptions of the marsh were very detailed and I felt like I was in the marsh, living with Kya surrounded by the sounds and smells of the marsh.  The writing is haunting and lyrical and beautiful.  

I can’t say enough about this beautiful book.  I really thought it would be a bit depressing and sad, but instead, I felt the story was hopeful and inspirational instead.  I was rooting for Kya and couldn’t help being inspired by her strength and perseverance.  She’s such a strong and resilient character.  

I listened to the audiobook version and the narration was a perfect complement to the beautiful writing.  It was soothing and yet distinctive enough so that I could easily distinguish between the characters.  

I highly recommend Where the Crawdads Sing for its beautiful writing and hopeful story.  

6 responses to “Audiobook Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

  1. I listened to the audio too and it was totally worth the wait. Cassandra Campbell’s narration was so soothing, she is one of my favorites.