Rising Stars Book Club

I hold this book right up there with The Help by Kathryn Stockett, one of my all-time favorites! Where the Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens, is a beautifully written tale and dear to my heart. Powerful, yet humbling. Haunting and unforgettable.

It seems to me, I am very drawn to debut fiction novelists! I could make a long list of debuts that are favorites of mine.

This coming of age book held me captive from beginning to end. How I wish there were more stories such as this one! The story came alive for me as I followed Kya's every move as if I, too, were there beside her. The isolation this wild child endured was amazing, but she knew the marsh well and read the signs of nature through her patience and love of the land upon which she lived. While the preacher's wife referred to Kya as filthy and nasty, she was so much more than that. It's heart wrenching to watch her put up with a drunken father, a mother who abandoned her, an accusation of murder, and so much more. I loved the characters in this book, especially Tate, Jumpin and his wife Mabel.

After Chase is found dead, Kya is an easy target for blame and that's when things become even more complicated. I was thankful for Tate's friendship over the years and eventually the romance between them blossoming. The story twists and turns, however, and kept me intrigued through to the very end. I didn't see that coming! This is definitely a must-read book that will tug at your heart strings and have you thinking about this story for days.

With Delia Owen's background in non-fiction nature writing, she weaves an intriguing tale of mystery, instinct, achievement, and emotion. Love, love, love this book!