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  • Where the Crawdads Sing

  • Written by: Delia Owens
  • Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
  • Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (10,485 ratings)

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Where the Crawdads Sing

Written by: Delia Owens
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
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Publisher's Summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING PHENOMENON—NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!

More than 18 million copies sold worldwide

A Reese’s Book Club Pick

A Business Insider Defining Book of the Decade

“I can't even express how much I love this book! I didn't want this story to end!”—Reese Witherspoon

“Painfully beautiful.”—The New York Times Book Review

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.

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.

©2018 Delia Owens (P)2018 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

"Narrator Cassandra Campbell serves up a bushel of Carolina accents in this debut novel by nature writer Delia Owens. Campbell's accents give the mix of classes and regions in the story the same realistic detail Owens provides for the marsh.... Prepare to be enchanted and haunted." (AudioFile)

"A lush debut; Owens delivers her mystery wrapped in gorgeous, lyrical prose." (Alexandra Fuller, author of Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight)

“A painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature.... Owens here surveys the desolate marshlands of the North Carolina coast through the eyes of an abandoned child. And in her isolation that child makes us open our own eyes to the secret wonders - and dangers - of her private world.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“Steeped in the rhythms and shadows of the coastal marshes of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, this fierce and hauntingly beautiful novel centers on.... Kya’s heartbreaking story of learning to trust human connections, intertwine[d] with a gripping murder mystery, revealing savage truths. An astonishing debut.” (People)

Editorial Review

A massively influential book, the audiobook adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing brings a whole new layer to the tale. Cassandra Campbell brilliantly narrates the story of the Marsh Girl, caught up in a murder mystery investigation from a different time. An essential read is now an equally essential listen.

One of literature's all-time bestsellers, Where the Crawdads Sing positively shimmers as an audiobook on Audible. The famous story of the legendary young girl from the small town of Barkley Cove comes alive through the tender narration of multi-Audie-award-winning voice actor Cassandra Campbell, marrying brilliant voicework with a story that transcends time. Published in 2018, Where the Crawdads Sing is a stunning debut novel from Delia Owens that takes two intertwining timelines and merges realities along the way, taking the isolated childhood of Kya in the marshlands of North Carolina and melding it into a modern-day murder mystery on the North Carolina coast. Now available as an audiobook, Delia Owens's first novel lives up to the hype.

A Business Insider Defining Book of the Decade and a New York Times bestselling phenomenon, Where the Crawdads Sing is a coming-of-age story with a difference, a tearjerker that is oftentimes inspirational and oftentimes downright heartbreaking. Delia Owens is a masterful storyteller, and Cassandra Campbell brings her usual air of authenticity to the unabridged audiobook. Kya's journey from Marsh Girl to a new life is not for the faint of heart, but it is a stunning journey into the beauty and violence of the natural world around us, a tender exploration of nature's secrets. A constant presence on the best seller lists the world over, Where the Crawdads Sing is a great read and an even better listen. Where the Crawdads Sing was named as one of Reese's Book Club picks by Reese Witherspoon, and it has been adapted into a film of the same name.

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What listeners say about Where the Crawdads Sing

Average Customer Ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Story
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Favourite book of 2019!

This book was beautifully written and produced. I loved every word. It's the type of book you start to slow down on because you don't want it to end.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • CJC
  • 2018-11-27

Enjoyed

There were some predictable moments but overall it was enjoyable.

I have to listen at 1.3 speed for this narrator.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this especially the last few chapters

First of all I have to commend the narrator who was absolutely fabulous. She really brought you deep into the story. In the last couple of hours my head was spinning in circles - in a good way. I was so consumed by this book I sat in the car in my driveway for 35 minutes because I had to finish it. So so good and the ending!!!!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • AA
  • 2018-10-14

one of the best books of 2018 from this corner

From the marsh where Kya Clark lived in a shack in the 40s with abusive dad and helpless mom and siblings to a girl left to femd for herself as an outcast in her Carolina town. heavily descriptive but in a good way with a tender and heart wrenching story

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

so interesting

highly recommend
love, loneliness, strength
so many attributes to this brave marsh girl
would listen again

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very descriptive!

I loved the storyline and got attached to the characters. Made me laugh and cry. Great ending.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Riveting!

I absolutely loved this story and the performance was mesmerizing. I have had my headphones on for days because I couldn't put it down!

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One of the Best of the Year

Where the Crawdads Sing is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The story is highly engaging and there is great depth to the characters. I would read another book by this author in a heartbeat. #Audible1

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draws you in and doesn't let go!

I couldn't put this book down, a beautiful, heartbreaking story with so much meaning. The narration was perfectly performed and character development was spot on. Not since I read to Kill a Mockingbird, did an author describe the south in such a way you feel you are there with the characters.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Greatest Narration

The Reader does a great job narrating, she really helps paint a picture of everything going on in the story. Maybe one of the best narrations I've heard for a book so far.

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