“I wasn’t aware that words could hold so much. I didn’t know a sentence could be so full.”
Where the Crawdads Sing is the debut historical fiction novel by Delia Owens. Nominated for Best Historical Fiction in the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards and an immediate international bestseller, it tells the story of the legend of the ‘Marsh Girl’ in the small fishing village of Barkley Cove. So when the popular Chase Matthews is found dead, all the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the wild naturalist unfit for society. Whilst Kya has all the skills to live off the land indefinitely, she still yearns for touch and connection. Drawn in by her rugged beauty, she begins to be drawn by two local men from the village, opening herself up to a new and strange world. A beautifully-told coming-of-age mystery, steeped in wildlife and the eerie backdrop of the North Carolina marshes, check out the most captivating books like Where The Crawdads Sing here at What We Reading!
The Help – Kathryn Stockett
First up on our list of the best books like Where The Crawdads Sing is Kathryn Stockett’s The Help. Similar to Delia Owens’ work, it is a compelling story of three strong females whose lives change in a historical backdrop. Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating, but who knows that her mother will not be happy with her until she has a ring on her finger? Aibileen is a wise black maid whose recent loss of her son has made her extremely protective of the little girl she cares for now. Minny is Aibileen’s best friend whose sharp tongue has lost her too many jobs in the past.
Though they are all very different from one another, the three women find themselves working together on a project that will see them push back against the lines and expectations of the society around them.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Help
Golden Child – Claire Adam
Set in rural Trinidad in a brick house built on stilts surrounded by bush, author Claire Adam introduces readers to a quiet, unassuming family attempting to foster together a living. Clyde, the father, works long and exhausting hours at the petroleum plant. His wife, Joy, looks after their home. Their two songs, aged thirteen, make the commute to the capital every morning for school.
The two sons are twins, but very different from each other. Paul has always been considered strange, whilst everyone assumes Peter is destined for greatness. When Paul disappears into the bush one day, Clyde is forced to chase after him. But, as the hours soon creep into days, and he learns of Paul’s fate, Clyde’s entire world shatters as he is confronted with a decision no parent should ever be forced to make.
Where The Line Bleeds (Bois Sauvage #3) – Jesmyn Ward
For another book like Where the Crawdads Sing that paints a portrait of small-town Southern American dynamics, Jesmyn Ward’s Where the Line Bleeds has to be on your TBR list! Set in a rural town on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the story follows fraternal twins Joshua and Christophe. Both are graduating high school, and both are dreading what life as adults will look like.
Joshua finds work as a dock labourer, but Christophe is less fortunate. Desperate to help solve his family’s money worries, he turns to selling drugs. Joshua doesn’t approve of his brother’s clumsy, amateur operation and the disagreements threaten to dismantle the twins’ relationship. However, the unexpected arrival of their long-missing addict father soon leads to an altogether different confrontation; one that will either save or doom them.
Bloodroot – Amy Greene
Myra Lamb is a wild girl with striking blue eyes who has grown up on the remote Bloodroot Mountain. Wild, strong and independent, she has been protected by her grandmother, Byrdie, who passes down ‘the touch’, a magical ability that bewitches both animals and humans.
But, when John Odom tries to tame Myra, a devastating disaster is set into motion that threatens to rip entire lives apart. Set against a mesmerisingly beautiful, but unforgiving, backdrop, Amy Greene’s Bloodroot brings the faith and fury of Appalachia culture. One of the best books like Where the Crawdads Sing for those who loved the wildness and independence of Kya, it is a dark and haunting story of family secrets, passion, faith and loss that will undoubtedly captivate any fan of Delia Owens.
Sycamore – Bryn Chancellor
Whilst on a hike one scorching summer afternoon in Sycamore, Arizona, the newcomer to town stumbles upon what looks to be the remains of a human embedded in the walls of a desert ravine. As the news begins to spread across the town, the longtime locals are quick to assume the bones must belong to Jess Winters, the teenage girl who disappeared eighteen years ago.
In the days it takes the authorities to either debunk or confirm this mystery, the residents of Sycamore recount the stories, rumours, gossip and memories of both the poignant and painful chapters of Jess’ life. Through looking back at history, the inhabitants of Sycamore find possibility and a way to move forward with their lives. Similar to Where the Crawdads Sing, Bryn Chancellor’s Sycamore is a small-town mystery that is both atmospheric and evocative.
My Absolute Darling – Gabriel Tallent
Similar to Where the Crawdads Sing, Gabriel Tallent’s My Absolute Darling is another debut literary novel nominated in the Goodreads Choice Awards. At the age of fourteen, Turtle Alveston knows how to use every gun on her wall. She can trap a rabbit, tune a blade and split bones. She also knows how much her daddy loves her, and will do anything to keep her with him.
What she doesn’t know, however, is why she feels so different from the other girls at her school. Or why the line between love and pain is so hard to see. Or how opening herself up and making a friend may be the hardest thing she has ever done in her life. A vivid coming-of-age tale, My Absolute Darling is a commentary on how sometimes the people you trust the most end up doing the most harm, and how the things you fear the most may be the things that end up saving you.
The Snow Child – Eowyn Ivey
Set in the rugged landscapes of Alaska in 1920, recent arrivals Jack and Mabel are struggling to build a life for themselves and keep their relationship afloat. Jack is struggling under the weight of work on the farm, whilst Mabel is drowning in despair and loneliness. During a brief moment of rest bite, they build a child out of snow. The next morning, their snow child has disappeared, but they soon glimpse a young blonde-haired girl running in the forest.
The child calls herself Faina, hunts with a red fox as a companion and somehow manages to survive in the frozen Arizona wilderness. As Jack and Mable struggle to make sense of Faina, they begin to love her as if she were their daughter. In the process, they begin to rekindle their own relationship and the final revelation about Faina completely flips their understanding of how things are rarely as they appear. A Pulitzer Prize finalist, Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child is a magical realism story whose wild backdrop and uplifting message are sure to resonate with any fans of Where the Crawdads Sing.
Probably Ruby – Lisa Bird-Wilson
Having been given up for adoption as an indigenous baby, Ruby is raised by a white couple who understand very little about her culture and heritage. By the time she reaches her thirties, she is determined to set out, find her birth parents and forge together her true identity. Spanning years and multiple points of view, Probably Ruby is a compelling mystery that gradually lifts the lid on Ruby’s life, revealing who her people are and how she can reconcile with what is missing.
Through an array of stories told via Ruby and the individuals she encounters across her journey, Lisa Bird-Wilson’s 2020 story is one of the best books similar to Where the Crawdads Sing for readers looking for another read about a bold woman who is unapologetic about taking control of her life and her identity.
The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah
Ernt Allbright returns home from the Vietnam War has changed. His experiences as a POW have made him a volatile man and, when he loses another job, he decides to move his family to Alaska in search of a new life on America’s final frontier. For thirteen-year-old Leni, coming of age in her parents’ stormy relationship, she hopes the new land will build a better future for her family.
At first, the wild Alaskan wilderness appears to be the answer to all of the family’s prayers. They find a fierce community of strong and independent men and women, and their generosity makes up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and supplies. However, as winter begins to roll in, Ernt’s fragile mental state begins to snap and the family’s dynamics fracture. With perils both inside and outside of the house, Leni and her mother soon realise that they only have each other. Like Where the Crawdads Sing, Kristin Hannah’s acclaimed 2018 book, The Great Alone features a historic wild setting and focuses on the fragility of resilience, love, loss and survival.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
