Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - 5 stars

[Barbara M]

cross-posted to the Poll Challenge

Loved it. This will definitely make my top 10 this year.

For this first half, maybe more, it reminded me very much of the book I just finished - The Great Alone. Sort of a warm climate version. Kya is definitely alone having been abandoned at a very young age. The similarity is more the situation with the abusive fathers with a bad war experience that very likely changed them one in WWII and one in Vietnam. Leni, in The Great Alone, at least had her mother.

The first two chapters descrip, briefly, the discovery of a body in the marsh. It switches immediately to 1952 and Kya's family. Kya is just 6 years old and the abandonment starts, or rather continues, with the departure of her mother.

The book follows Kya's life through many trials. She is a spunky person that I couldn't help but admire. The book shows the marsh is the most lovely way. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Shelly]

I felt the same way, and absolutely loved both of them.
Prodigal Summertoo.
All 5 stars!

[Amy]

I think this book really stays with people. I also loved it. Also liked the Great Alone, and that's a hard book to "like." Also consider Prodigal Summer a 5 star read.

[NancyJ]

I really loved this book. I loved her biology lessons.

Prodigal Summer is wonderful too. I think about it every year around Passover, but I can't even remember what animal she raised to sell. I didn't love the Great Alone, but I can't remember why.

I'd like more books like these, with their ecological sensibilities. I'm hoping for an environment related monthly tag this year.

[Amy]

Interesting - reading Lab Girl right now. It’s wonderful how “hot” ecology plus love is right now...

[Barbara M]

Shelly wrote: "I felt the same way, and absolutely loved both of them.
Prodigal Summertoo.
All 5 stars!"

Prodigal Summer is one of my all-time favorites. I still recommend it to many people.

[Shelly]

NancyJ wrote: "I really loved this book. I loved her biology lessons.

Prodigal Summer is wonderful too. I think about it every year around Passover, but I can't even remember what animal she raised to sell. I d..."

I believe it was goats!

[Karin]

This has been one of the better books I've read so far in 2020.

[Nikki]

I read this one last year and just finished The Great Alone, and I also thought they had a lot in common. I preferred this though - I was hooked while reading The Great Alone but I think that was mostly in-the-moment due to being swept along by it, whereas I still have positive memories of this one.