Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I imagine you know what it feels like to be overwhelmed. Everyone living today knows the feeling, and I might be biased, but I think this is especially the case for women. The past several months have been my busiest time of year at work and there have been extra complications that made this year’s process more stressful. Add the fact that I was getting a divorce and dealing with a lot of personal stuff (stress) and that I am leading a book study of The Calling and participating in one for Warrior Heart Practice, and I’ve fallen behind on both, and…. long story short… when Where the Crawdads Sing came up on my library app holds I was panicked. Not now! I’ve been on the wait list for something like 20 weeks. I’ve heard good things but managed to avoid spoilers. I really want to read this book, but I am already overwhelmed! Luckily, it was the audiobook, and although I had been enjoying my satellite radio trial in my new car, I bit the bullet and jumped into the book.
I loved it. I want everyone to read this book, so I will try to avoid spoilers. I got to a point where I didn’t want to turn off the car and stop the audiobook because I wanted to know what happened next. And here’s where part of the “in context” comes into play. I just got a divorce. In this post, I talked about how I’ve had some court-related trauma and can be triggered by anything having to do with court, lawyers, etc. Maybe it’s because this book had me hooked long before it got into court or maybe because I’m already taking meds to help with the trauma of going to court for my divorce… but I was at the very end of the book before I realized, “hey, I’m not supposed to like this because it has court and that stuff usually triggers me.” It could also be because I had no idea how the book was going to turn out. Up to the very end. Clueless. But I had to know. It has been a long time since a book captivated me this way and had me looking sideways at so many characters.
If you’ve ever felt alone or isolated (everyone) you will relate to Kya. Granted, hers is an extreme case. She was abandoned at a young age and basically raised herself. I’ve seen some reviews saying this is not possible, but this was back in the day when childhood was a different thing especially in poor communities. My Granny worked in a canning factory when she was about twelve years old, so cooking her own grits at seven doesn’t sound like a stretch to me. Also, I always thought it was a “cannon” factory until someone finally mentioned that they canned tomatoes… yes, I am from the South.
Speaking of setting, I love the marsh in this book. I’ve never been to the Carolinas, so the closest coastal comparison I have to this is Savannah, GA or the Florida panhandle. You say “marsh” to me and I imagine hot, sticky, miserable, mosquito-infested… but Where the Crawdads Sing is literally a love song to the marsh. When you love something, you tend to focus on the positives, so I don’t think there’s a single mosquito in the whole book. That might make it seem a bit “fantastic,” but I can relate to being in love with a place; if I set a book in the Ozarks or Eureka Springs, I would paint a similarly glowing picture. If anything, this made the book that much more endearing to me.
In the context of my recent life, in which I constantly feel overwhelmed, Kya’s life of isolation seems more like one of solitude. I find myself tempted to run away and find a marsh cabin and spend a few years avoiding everyone but the seagulls. Maybe that’s extreme, but I can treat myself to a little spa getaway for a time out. I can spend some time in nature. I can curl up with a book, collect bugs and rocks, let someone else cook, whatever I want. After a little respite, my sense of overwhelm will start to feel like what it really is… accomplishment. I’ve checked a lot of things off my list already this year. I’m on a roll. My exhaustion is the kind that comes at the end of a long day when you’ve worked hard and can see clear results of your efforts. This book helped me put that into perspective.
Speaking of Savannah…
