The recap
In 1969 the body of a popular young man is found in the marsh outside Barkley Cove, a small fishing town on the North Carolina coast, and suspicion soon turns toward Kya, the reclusive young woman the locals call the Marsh Girl. The novel moves between that investigation and Kya's childhood in the 1950s, when, left behind by her family one by one, she learns to survive alone in a shack among the lagoons and oak groves, digging mussels to sell, avoiding school and teaching herself the ways of herons, gulls and fireflies. Delia Owens, a zoologist by training, writes the wetlands with a naturalist's eye, so the setting breathes like a living character. Part coming-of-age story, part small-town mystery and part courtroom drama, it is a novel about loneliness, prejudice and resilience, and its blend of suspense and nature writing turned it into one of the most talked-about book club picks of its decade.
Why read it
For readers who want a mystery wrapped in lyrical nature writing, and for anyone who loves a fierce, solitary heroine. It is an ideal pick for a book club.
Fun facts
- 01
It was Owens's first novel; she had previously co-written three bestselling nonfiction books about her life as a wildlife scientist in Africa.
- 02
Owens holds a degree in zoology from the University of Georgia and a PhD in animal behavior from the University of California, Davis.
- 03
Reese Witherspoon chose it for her book club in 2018, and her company Hello Sunshine later produced the film.
- 04
By April 2023 the novel had sold more than 18 million copies.
- 05
The 2022 film adaptation stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya and features an original song written by Taylor Swift.
