This is one of the most moving, caring, emotional novels I have ever read. I read this book only because I had met Delia and have read her wildlife books she wrote with husband Mark Owens. After starting the book this was all I could think about for days. Kya's life become part of mine and the characters ceased to live on the page... they were alive with me and I was in the marsh, feeling every feather - the air, creatures and the plants. Jumpin' became a trusted friend and so many moments touched my very soul. I should not have been surprised as Delia has a great style in her wildlife books that I love to read. But a novel like this is not my normal read. Maybe I need to now reconsider what I choose as this book stopped me cold and made me rethink a lot that happened in my life. Delia touched the human soul with her behavioral descriptions. She is not only a respected wildlife scientist, she is a human behaviorist and understands more about the human condition that just about anyone else I know. This is a tremendous treasure of a book and I'm sure it's staying in my read again list for a long time. Highly recommend the book.

My favorite book of the year by far. So beautifully written. No skimming over sections in this book. I devoured every single word. I laughed, I cried (a lot) and most importantly thought differently about life - mine and everyone else's. I became the character of Kya, desperately alone and forced to try to eke out an existence on her own in the marshes. The marshes are their own separate character, but despite the fact that I am freaked out by insects and mud and most other creepy crawlies, I could actually imagine myself enjoying the Carolina experience, hard as it was. You will root for Kya, I did, sometimes shouting out loud- You Go Girl!!!!! I read this book in one day and can't stop thinking about it. There are several clues to the surprise ending if you pay attention to the details. This is a KEEPER!

Started reading it 10am and finished 8pm! Could not put it down. Main characters are easy to get to know (so you think) and the story draws you in from the start! I look forward to more from this author!! Read this Book!

I loved this book from the very first sentence to the very last sentence.The prologue begins in 1969 in the Marsh. From the first few sentences describing it “Marsh is a space of light, where grass grows in water, and water flows into the sky” you are pulled into the wonderful descriptive writing. But then we soon learn that we are being introduced to the Marsh through the discovery of a body, that of Chase Andrews.Then we are taken back to 1952. Kya, six years old, watches her ma walking away from the house. She is wearing her fake alligator skin high heels and carrying a blue train case. Ma always turned around to wave when she reached the road, but this time she didn’t. That was the last time Kya saw her mother.As her brothers and sisters leave one by one, Kya is left to fend for herself. Sometimes her pa is around and sometimes he isn’t. Kya learns to survive in the marsh.I can’t even begin to describe the life Kya leads, without giving anything away. I don’t want there to be any spoilers because it unfolds so beautifully in the book.The story is everything, heartbreaking, heartwarming, lyrical, moving, tragic and uplifting. I fell in love with Kya, her strength, her simple goodness.Highly recommend.I received an ARC of the book.

This book had so many fantastic reviews. I was looking forward to reading it but quickly became disillusioned. I'm from NC and have never heard anyone talk with the type of accents Ms. Owens chose for her characters. It seems like a small thing but it was extremely distracting, and eventually became ridiculous, especially because the characters somehow switched back and forth between speaking like Mark Twain's Jim to perfect English. It made me wonder if the author has ever been to our fair state. The story was good enough, albeit predictable, and it's obvious the author did her research on marsh life. I learned quite a few wildlife facts that were interesting. The conversations just kept me wrinkling up my nose with distaste and I ended the book on a sour note.