Kya Clark’s mother leaves her abusive husband one day without all her children. One by one the children leave home as well, leaving young Kya with her alcoholic dad in the shack in the marshland. Kya goes to school for one day but because all of the other children make fun of her, she refuses to go back. Then her father doesn’t come home one day – it is thought he died somewhere in the marsh, when Kya is still a young girl. She starts selling mussels and smoked fish to Jumpin’, the guy she buys her petrol from.
One of her brothers’ friends Tate leaves her feathers and other trinkets – until he starts talking to her. After this they discover the marsh together, and he teaches Kya to read. Then one day, he tells her that he will leave the following day to go to college, to become a biologist. Kya doesn’t see Tate again for a long time.
After a while, Kya starts a relationship with Chase. He is the town’s golden boy, and he keeps telling her that he will marry her, but then she reads his engagement announcement in the paper. And when Chase is found dead, people in town suspect the marsh girl Kya.
This is the third time I’ve read this book, and I still love it. Kya’s love for nature shines through everything! I loved ‘watching’ Kya grow up from a timid little girl to a confident woman – an author and expert on the biology of the marsh.
PS I’ve also watched the film and they did stay pretty close to the source material — I highly recommend both the film and the book!
Read for the ShelfReflection Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 16: A book about a missing parent
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
