Where the Crawdads Sing

There’s nothing that I like much more than a great book. But a great book on a great trip…that’s magic!

On my recent trip to San Miguel de Allende for the annual Writer’s Conference, I finished Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I was like one of those total nerds – in a room full of fascinating people, with my nose stuck in a book. But, I couldn’t help it. It was that good.

I could have made several new friends because of that book. Lots of folks stopped by, wanting to know what I was reading and how good it was. I tried to be polite – really I did…but I was always at a really good part! I stayed up way past my bedtime one night (9:00), finishing it up.

The book is set in the marshes of North Carolina back in the 1960s. An abandoned girl, a deserted marsh, a love story (or two), a coming of age story, an accident…or maybe a murder? This book has it all.

The author, Delia Owens, is a wildlife scientist who has produced three international bestsellers (nonfiction) about her life in Africa. This book showcases her understanding of the natural world and she knows how to weave a tale!

The reviewers compare her writing to that of Barbara Kingsolver (Poisonwood Bible is probably her most famous, but I liked Flight Behavior) and Karen Russell (Swamplandia! – one of my all-time favorites). This book also reminded me of Elizabeth Gilbert’s The Signature of All Things, which is on my top 5 of all time list (and more importantly, one of Linda’s and Marcel’s favorites. Linda, as I’ve said before, is one of the best readers I know, so if she loves it, it must be good. She liked Where the Crawdads Sing a lot too).

I highly recommend this book. I’m leaving my copy here in San Miguel for my dear friend Betty (or you would be welcome to borrow it), but I hope you can find another pal with a copy to borrow. If not, it’s totally worth the price for one of your own.