Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing

Hey there!  Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday.  I'm thinking about a book I recently read and the experience of meeting the author.

Where the Crawdads Sing had been all the buzz around blog land for quite some time before it bubbled to the top of my reading list.  But as soon as I started reading it, I knew it wouldn't stay unread for long.  This was a real page turner for me!

In case you haven't heard about this book, here's the summary from Amazon:

For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life--until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

If you're thinking you've not read a book by Delia Owens before, there's a good reason for that.  This is her first fiction book.  It's so beautiful written, I had a hard time believing this was her first novel!  Delia's background as a wildlife scientist comes through in the way she eloquently describes the nature of the swamp.

On my recent trip to Kansas City, I had the opportunity to attend an author event sponsored by Rainy Day Books with Delia Owens.  Our book club, The Book Babes, had read this book as part of our book club and many of us were able to attend the author event together.  As she sat on the stage and talked about her work in Africa, living is Idaho and and life in general, you couldn't help but fall in love with her!

After speaking for about an hour and answering questions submitted by the audience, we had an opportunity to have our books signed.  The crowd numbered over 900, so the line needed to move along quickly.  The taking of photos was limited.  In true form for me, as I approach this celebrity my mouth became dry and I could barely utter a single word.  "Thanks for doing this" was all I could get out while she signed the 349384939 book of this tour.

If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it.  And if Delia Owens is coming to a town near you, get tickets!  You won't be disappointed.

That's what I'm thinking out loud about today.  What's on your mind?  Link up and share!

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