Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. We imagine most of you have heard of this book, if not read it. Reese Witherspoon picked it for her book list, and she was tapped to produce the film adaptation. If you haven't gotten to it yet, have at it! The novel tells the story of Kya, a young girl who is forced to raise herself in the marshes of coastal North Carolina. Kya is a remarkable girl; gritty and resourceful. The marsh itself is a character in the novel, a surrogate mother of sorts. The novel alternates between two narratives: Kya's 1940s and 1950s childhood, and the investigation of the murder of Chase Andrews, a young man whose death forces Kya to confront the outside world. Warning: Some felt it started a little slow, though all reviewers seemed to agree, once it got going, it was a rip-roaring read.
