For years, rumours of the 'Marsh Girl' have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So, in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens.
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(@Bolindaaudio, 1 June 2020, audiobook, 12 hours 13 minutes, borrowed from @GlasgowLib via @BorrowBox, #POPSUGARReadingChallenge, a #BookTok recommendation)
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I recently saw the movie and loved it so much I had to read the book. The movie is very close to the book but I felt I got more from reading or in this case listening to the book. I loved this. The structure is similar to the movie with chapters set at the trial and flashbacks chronicling Kya's life after her entire family abandons her and how her path crosses with Chase and the rest of the community. This is beautifully written book, quite harrowing at times. My heart went out to Kya and it was almost painful to listen to the chapters set during her trial as she's railroaded for murder because the way she's seen by the community rather than because of any evidence against her.
