Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Every so often a transcendent book comes along, and I feel that Where the Crawdads is one of those. It is probably the best book I have ever read. I finished it last week, and I am still stunned.
Initially, I did not know a thing about Where the Crawdads Sing, but I did know of Delia Owens from Cry of the Kalahari, a wonderful book she wrote with her husband, Mark (they have since divorced). As a nature writer, I try to read all the natural history classics and Cry of the Kalahari was one of the better ones (and certainly one of the most hair-raising).
So without reading any reviews or commentary, I started listening to an audio version of Where the Crawdads Sing on my daily commute. I was immediately struck by the elegant natural history observations and metaphors that Ms. Owens employed. As a nature writer myself, I greatly admire such a writing style. But there was more, much more; this book drew me in like few have before; Ms. Owens deftly weaves a tale of heartache, romance, betrayal, and, well, I leave the rest up to you.
I cannot say enough good things about this masterpiece. If you are interested in lyrical nature writing, romance, and intrigue, you will love this book.
