Patricia Elmore

A spectacular book by any literary measure, Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens, surprised me with its gorgeous, descriptive prose. Don't mistake this poignant story as a common, formulaic murder mystery. This story is an expressively told masterpiece of how timeless and predictable our human lives mimic the wild things in nature. We see ourselves in nature's quest to be accepted by others in our species, to be recognized as a worthy mate, and to survive and pass on our genes. Yet, this is really a story about our unique ability as humans to go beyond mere survival. We love. We make mistakes. And we forgive.