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.

Published HB: January 2019 & PB: December 2019 by Corsair, Little Brown Uk

Oh My. This book. It’s immediately leapt into my favourites of all time. I’d heard so much about it before I started, but still I was unprepared for how much I loved it

Where The Crawdads Sing tells the story of Kya. Born to an impoverished family in the marshes of North Carolina, she’s abandoned by everyone she knows and left to fend completely for herself in total isolation by the age of ten. Years later, the body of popular and handsome Chase Andrews is found, and the locals point the finger at the strange marsh girl…

I don’t know what I expected this book to be… it’s hard to define. Part crime, part coming of age and part deeply romantic, it was so much more than I expected. Right from the start, the author immerses the reader into Kya’s world with imagery and language that places you right there with her. It’s stunning

Kya’s life and experiences are extraordinary and so far away from my own, and yet still I became so connected to her that I too felt every heartache and hope she feels. I fell in love with this character – resourceful, intelligent and naive – she is so richly depicted, she becomes almost real and my heart ached and hoped alongside her

The marsh where Kya lives is also a character in its own right and despite never being anywhere like it, Owens magically transported me there with evocative descriptions, sounds and smells. The atmosphere she creates is truly exceptional

Where The Crawdads Sing is a beautiful book, raising questions of prejudice, human endurance and resilience and what it is to be isolated. Yet it’s a book brimming with hope and joy too. Kya’s story completely stole my heart and it’s a book I’ll be thinking about for a longtime to come

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