Where the Crawdads Sing cover art

Where the Crawdads Sing

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Where the Crawdads Sing

By: Delia Owens
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

#1 New York Times Bestseller

A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick

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 Celeste Ng, 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.

2021, Pageturner of the Year at British Book Awards, Winner

2020, Indie Book Awards, Short-listed

©2018 Delia Owens (P)2018 Hachette Audio UK Crime Crime Thrillers Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Small Town & Rural Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Heartfelt Funny

Critic Reviews

"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)
All stars
Most relevant  
The most beautiful book I’ve ever listened to! Now, my favourite & I’ll listen to it again to appreciate once more the magic that this talented Author has sublimely delivered.

Amazing! Beautiful! Enthralling!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
If you have a southern gothic hole to fill in your heart than this is it. I would highly recommend this book for anyone in need of some escapism, the setting, the story-telling, the characters, it's all very captivating. It may provide moments that remind you of To Kill a Mockingbird however, the story is completely its' own. It's not often that a book answers all your questions but leaves you begging for more; however, Where The Crawdads Sing, achieves this effortlessly.

I wish there was more

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Delia Owens has created an absorbing story. The emotional roller coaster of human interactions captured so well. Highly recommended

Captivating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is one of the few books that I couldn’t put down. The descriptions of the marshlands, the water birds, the grasses, the insects, even the sounds, take on a life of their own. I loved this book!

Mesmerising and beautifully written.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved this book, hard to stop listening! Felt so many emotions for Kaya, the ending was perfect.

Beautiful but sometimes heartbreaking story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
outstanding! extraordinary! unique................
nature explored in detail alongside such courage and resilience. I feel like I was there watching it all unfold.

unique

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
truly amazing story!
could not put it down!
Delia Owens what an absolutely brilliant author.

What a ripper!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Such a bitter sweet story. A compelling heroine, at time harrowing, but utterly uplifting. A must read.

What a story, and how beautifully told

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book would be better to read than to listen to. The narrators voice for Kya was infuriating. She made her sound dim-witted and slow. Even as Kya grew up and became a fiercely intelligent woman the narrator uses a pathetic, childish, slow, dim-wit voice that ruined the character and largely ruined the story for me. A shame.

Skip the Audible version

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved this book and struggled to stop listening to it.
I would recommend



Good story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.