The bestselling novel Where the Crawdads Sing caught the literary world by storm. Readers loved Owens’ appreciation of the natural world and Kya’s heartbreaking story. Throw in a possible murder and the story is complete.
Kya Clark was born and raised (or raised herself) in the marshlands of North Carolina, where, one by one, her family deserted her. She basically grew up by herself until Tate, a friend of her brother, arrived and helped her survive. The book goes back and forth in time as a man is found murdered and all signs point to Kya. This book held me until the very last page.
If you enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing, try these other books:
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover—Tara grows up in rural Idaho with her Mormon survivalist family. She has never been allowed to attend school. She struggles to break free of her family’s strong opinions and finally leaves the mountain, but can the mountain ever leave her?
Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls—Growing up with a charismatic but drunken father and a mother that couldn’t or wouldn’t take responsibility for her family, Jennifer and her siblings had to fend for themselves. That they were able to escape is a tale that must be told. And Walls does it with love.
Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell—Sixteen year old Margo, armed with a rifle and a copy of a biography of Annie Oakley, flees after the death of her father to search for her missing mother. As she navigates the Stark River in Michigan, she realizes that the river is a dangerous place for a young girl.
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang—Who is Weylyn Grey, this boy orphaned and raised by wolves, able to stop storms, and conjure firefly honey? And are his magical powers enough to sustain his life and his love?
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent—Turtle and her abusive father live off the grid in the Pacific Northwest, but when she realizes that she must escape, she uses all her survival skills to brave the environment in which she grew up
The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne—Helena grew up with her father in the marshlands of Michigan. He taught her everything about nature and surviving in the wild. And she is the only one who can find him years later when he escapes from prison.
A Land More Kind Then Home by Wiley Cash—Nine year old Jess secretly witnesses his autistic brother’s death during a healing service in a small town in the mountains of North Carolina. This brings to the forefront, the charismatic minister, Carson Chambliss. Enjoy this story that is so much more than just a murder mystery.
The Round House by Louise Erdrich–Set in a North Dakota reservation, 14 year old Joe Coutz and three friends are determined to find out who has harmed his mother in a brutal attack.