S1 E2: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This month on the Bound Sisters Podcast, we stepped into the North Carolina marsh with Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens—a story full of loneliness, resilience, and a murder mystery that kept us guessing until the very end.

Meet Kya: The Girl Raised by the Marsh

At the heart of the story is Kya Clark, a girl left to raise herself in the marshlands after her family slowly disappears. “She’s six when her mom leaves... so she’s kind of figuring out how to take care of herself in the marsh, which is basically this whole book,” Kya’s life becomes all about survival—collecting mussels, dodging truant officers, and making peace with complete solitude.

And she’s not just surviving—she’s learning. From nature, from birds, from the tides. “The marsh is kind of a character all on its own... they talk about it like it has feelings, like it’s this person.”

Romance and Relationships (The Complicated Kind)

Kya’s love life was a major talking point. There’s Tate—the good one who teaches her to read and makes us all swoon… until he ghosts her. “He leaves, and she’s just… stuck waiting for him” Then there’s Chase, the town golden boy who quickly becomes a lot more complicated. “At first, he was just trying to get in her pants... but then he kind of starts to realize she’s like… a person.”

One quote from the book that stuck with us: “We’re not foxes. People are supposed to stay.” But for Kya, they never do.

Murder in the Marsh

The book opens with a death—and before long, Kya’s on trial for it. “The sheriff was like, we think she did it because we couldn’t find any tracks... and the lawyer busts out the tide charts like, ‘Did the tide come in and erase the tracks?’ And the sheriff’s like, ‘Oh yeah, maybe.’” It was giving small-town courtroom drama vibes.

During the trial, the stakes were high, and the suspicion heavy. “She never says I didn’t do it, she says ‘Get me out of here one way or the other.’” And then came the twist—Tate finds a hidden poem and a missing necklace that quietly reveal the truth. “She fooled all of us and even if she did, I cannot be mad at her.”

Trust, Judgment, and Finding Your Place

A big theme we couldn’t stop talking about? How people judge what they don’t understand. Kya’s been labeled the “Marsh Girl” her whole life, and it shapes how the entire town treats her. “This book really made me think about how quickly people label others, especially when they’re different or don’t fit in"

There was also a powerful sense of Kya learning to trust again—bit by bit. Whether it was the kindness of Jumpin’ and Mabel, or Jodie’s unexpected return, every small connection mattered.

“The Ending Got Me”

Once we hit the final chapters, we were collectively gasping. The secret poem. The shell necklace. Tate’s quiet decision to burn the evidence. “He burns all the poems, not just the one. All of them.” It left us wondering—was that the ultimate act of love, or a way of rewriting history?

And Kya’s peaceful ending? “I think that’s how she would have wanted to go” Floating in the water, surrounded by the marsh she called home.

One Last Laugh

This episode wasn’t all serious. There were plenty of moments that made us laugh—like Kellye’s theory about “turkey murder rituals” or Jyl’s vivid reenactments of the sheriff’s courtroom confusion. As always, our conversations took a few fun turns, but we kept coming back to the heart of it all: a girl, a marsh, and a whole lot of strength.

Want More?

Don’t miss the full episode for our hot takes, sisterly side chats, and some unexpected marshland trivia.

 Listen all our episodes here Follow us on Instagram & TikTok: @boundsisterspodcast💬 Leave a review on your favorite podcat platform & share the episode with your friends!

Next up: The Night Circus It’s magical, mysterious, and (spoiler alert) very non-linear. We can’t wait

Transcript

Podcast Episode