The hype around Delia Owens’s debut novel when it was first published was real. It was one of Amazon’s bestselling books of 2020, it featured in the first season of the Duchess of Cornwall’s book club, The Reading Room, and of course was one of Reese Witherspoon’s book picks, which arguably is what catapulted the book to become such a hit.

The title is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age novel, and a celebration of nature. Set in date jumbling and tension-building order from 1952 to 1970, the story follows Kya Clarke (played by Daisy Edgar-Jones in the film’s adaptation) from the age of six to 25 as she grows up in a North Carolina swamp after being abandoned by her family.

After years of surviving alone, Kya pines for touch and love. As two boys, Tate (Taylor John-Smith) and Chase (Harris Dickinson), from the local town become intrigued by her, she opens up to the idea of a new life, until the unimaginable happens. With a key focus on the characters, Where the Crawdads Sing is an animated story of a community plagued by tragedies.

Make sure to read the title before going to see the film at the cinema, you won’t regret it.