Where the Crawdads Sing

Outline

Where the Crawdads Sing (2018) follows Kya Clark, a girl abandoned by her family who grows up alone in the marshes of the North Carolina coast. Known in town as the Marsh Girl, she teaches herself to survive and becomes a gifted naturalist, until she is accused of a local man’s death in 1969. Delia Owens combines a coming-of-age story, a courtroom mystery, and vivid descriptions of the natural world.

• Kya Clark is abandoned by her family and grows up alone in the marshes of the North Carolina coast.
• Known in town as the Marsh Girl, Kya teaches herself to survive on her own.
• Her years among the marshes turn Kya into a gifted naturalist.
• In 1969 Kya is accused of the death of a local man, and the story becomes a courtroom mystery.
• Delia Owens blends a coming-of-age story, a mystery and vivid descriptions of the natural world.

Delia Owens is an American wildlife scientist and author who spent more than two decades studying animals in Africa. Before turning to fiction, she co-wrote nonfiction books about her field research, including Cry of the Kalahari. Where the Crawdads Sing, her first novel, became a worldwide bestseller and was adapted into a film in 2022.