The Thursday, September 19, 2019 All Good Books group meeting will discuss “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. We’ll meet at 7 pm in the Community of Christ Church Library (7842 Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kansas).

Some possible discussion questions on the novel follow:

  1. Would you recommend “Where the Crawdads Sing” to a fellow reader? Why and how would you describe it (romance, coming of age, murder mystery)?
  2. On the first page of the novel, the narrator states, “A swamp knows all about death, and doesn’t necessarily define it as tragedy, certainly not a sin.” What’s the general and specific meaning of that passage?
  3. What was Kya’s greatest concern and handicap? Why?
  4. Early in the reading of the novel, did you consider the death of one of the characters an accident or murder? If the latter, who did you initially suspect was the murderer? Did your prime suspect change as you read the novel?
  5. Why was it important for the narrator to tell the reader Kya’s history (childhood) as well as the history of the marsh people?
  6. In what ways was Tate, Kya’s hero? Her betrayer?
  7. Tate’s dad, Scupper, told him that “the definition of a real man is one who cries without shame, reads poetry with his heart, feels opera in his soul, and does what’s necessary to defend a woman.” Do you agree? How would you add or subtract from that definition?
  8. Why was Pa abusive to his wife and children? What event in his life did the narrator suggest contributed to his violent anger? What’s your reaction to Pa’s response to the event?
  9. As Kya learns to read, she encounters a sentence that reads “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.” Her response to the sentence is spoken in a whisper, “I wadn’t aware that words could hold so much. I didn’t know a sentence could be so full.” What does she mean and what meaning do you think she found in the sentence?
  10. Describe the relationship between Kya and Chase? What was Chase’s motivation to be with Kya? Why did he always wear the shell necklace around his neck?
  11. Amanda Hamilton’s poetry is sprinkled throughout the novel. What was significant about Hamilton’s poetry?
  12. The final Hamilton poem in the novel is “The Firefly.” What is it’s significance?
  13. What is the meaning of the novel’s title? Where is the place where the crawdads sing?
  14. How important is “nature” to the structure, meaning and plot of the novel? 
  15. Are the characters and storyline in the novel believable? Realistic?
  16. Were you happy with the ending of the story?
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