Joan Larkin

I thought this story was beautifully artistic in its description and the author’s knowledge of nature provided an incredible background for the plot. Not only does Ms. Owens paint a remarkable picture of the marsh and its surroundings, she deftly displays an acute understanding of human nature and the prejudices of that time period between 1952 to 1970. Kya’s loss of her mother has left Kya with a profound suspicion of others but creates a deep empathy from the reader for this lonely, abused child. It is astounding how resilient she is and continues to be throughout this book. The author brings home the hard-hearted closed mindedness of many community members during the murder trial which compliments the suspense and rivets the reader. This is a wonderful tale on many levels and deserves its accolades.