From the Bookshelf of Turning Pages At Midnight…

Where the Crawdads Sing

Delia Owens

Start date: November 14, 2019

Finish date: November 20, 2019

Discussion: Buddy Reads

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Buddy Reads

* September 2025 Buddy Reads
By Diana · 13 posts · 21 views

last updated Sep 04, 2025 07:25AM

* October 2025 Buddy Reads
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last updated Oct 03, 2025 05:35AM

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What Members Thought

Jul 06, 2022 Kate rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, boring-disappointing, suspense-crime, everything-goes

Stick a fork in me as I am done!

Since the book was published it keeps on popping up and I have been hesitant to read it. Well, Taylor Swift got me with the song Carolina to the film and I thought it was now or never. I have gone from now to never again. Which sucks. It started off strong although the prose was flowery in any way it can be. I really felt for Kya. But then there were times where she herself questioned the way she if the way she was living was right. I guess you choose the devil yo ...more

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Apr 03, 2020 Julie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Imagine being abandoned at an age when you need your parents the most. Could you fend for yourself? Would you know how to scavenge for food or protect yourself? Kya knows the loss of watching her mother walk out the front door…..both figuratively and literally. Then one by one, each person left Kya to her own defenses. What Kya did next will set a precedence of what her life would become.

Living in swampland is no easy feat. Now imagine a young child left to their own defenses making the most of Imagine being abandoned at an age when you need your parents the most. Could you fend for yourself? Would you know how to scavenge for food or protect yourself? Kya knows the loss of watching her mother walk out the front door…..both figuratively and literally. Then one by one, each person left Kya to her own defenses. What Kya did next will set a precedence of what her life would become.

Living in swampland is no easy feat. Now imagine a young child left to their own defenses making the most of all the marsh has to offer. Kya had to learn to be creative just to survive. Nothing could rival the isolation that Kya felt. When Kya crosses paths with her childhood friend Tate, she soon discovers that happiness can stretch far beyond your imagination. Things that once seemed too far away – love, acceptance, kindness, sincerity – were now the shining part of having Tate in Kya’s life. Life was good, until the moment when Tate changed Kya’s bubble of happiness.

Ridicule and torment were the only things waiting for Kya in town. After all, Marsh Girl couldn’t be accepted as a productive member of society. Or could she? Kya’s life will change in more ways than one when Tate looks towards the future. The good and the bad will find their way into the soft grasses of the marsh. Can Kya stand the trials and turmoil that find their way into her life?

Where the Crawdads Sing worked its way onto my radar when I saw that Reese Witherspoon has chosen it for her book club. Then another favorite – Jenna Bush Hager – placed the book as a book club pick. So – how could I not become intrigued about a book that TWO of my favorite celebrities has endorsed?? I’ll admit, once I started the novel, I could not put it down.

In spite of the book club recommendations, I went into this book ‘blind’. I did not read the blurb or any reviews prior to diving in. I am so glad that I took that approach. Where the Crawdads Sing is definitely a coming of age story that also touches on the hardships of growing up in a different time than that of today. Race issues, social classes, and a woman’s place in a man’s world are just a few of the nuances that are scattered throughout this story. I found the depth of Kya’s will to preserve both humbling and inspiring. A truly inspirational story that kept me enthralled from cover to cover.

The beauty in Kya’s surrounding wasn’t lost in the story. I could imagine the water, birds, shells, and smells of the marsh. The vivid way the author portrayed the surroundings of this other place in time was captivating. As I imagined the scenes depicted in this story, my heart ached for the little girl that seemed to lose everyone in her life. With an ending that was a tad predictable, I still found myself smiling at the strength that Kya put out in the universe. A wonderful story from beginning to end. Where the Crawdads Sing was definitely worth the wait!!
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