Another absolute publishing juggernaut of a book Where The Crawdads Sing has stolen many of our hearts in recent years.

First published in hardback in the UK in January 2019 by Corsair, an imprint of Little, Brown, it put debut fiction author Delia Owens firmly on the map aged 70.

Crossing genres in style, this was one of the LoveReading team’s favourite novels of the year, way before it became a mass market phenomenon. 

Set in the marshlands of North Carolina, the majority of this story takes place in the 1950’s and 60’s. The prologue begins in 1969 with the body of Chase Andrews being found in the marsh. 

The central character is Kya, we meet her as a child, and the truth of her life is immediately apparent. As the novel moves backwards and forwards in time, Kya emerges as the Marsh Girl, and suspicion begins to hound her after the body is found. 

It’s an ode to the natural world, a heart-breaking 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.

You fall in love with the marsh and the girl who lives there. It’s truly touching, almost hauntingly beautiful, and opens a doorway to a different world. 

By December 2019, the book had sold over 4.5 million copies and sold more print copies in 2019 than any other adult title, fiction or non-fiction. 

In May 2021 it was announced that the book had sold 11 million copies around the globe. It’s recently been number 1 again on the New York Times Bestseller List and has been on the list for a total of two years and eight months. Wow, that’s quite a journey for a debut novel. Especially when we consider it's coming to our screens in June 2022 with Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones in the starring role of Kya in the film adaptation.

So...if you've experienced a book hangover after reading this book, we have created a list of a few books that we think will help you recover and fill that bookish void.