Having already achieved best-selling author status with such nonfiction books as Cry of the Kalahari and Secrets of the Savanna about her experiences as a wildlife scientist in Africa, Delia Owens sets her sights on topping the fiction charts with her debut novel, Where the Crawdads Sing. The story takes place in 1969 in the North Carolina coastal town of Barkley Cove and centers on “Marsh Girl” Kya Clark, an orphaned wildling whom wary locals suspect of murdering Chase Andrews. In addition to other widespread praise, reviews of the mystery by Entertainment Weekly and Bustle compare it to Barbara Kingsolver’s works. The Idaho-based Owens will read from her latest work at Malaprop’s on Wednesday, May 8, at 6 p.m. Free to attend. malaprops.com. Author photo by Dawn Marie Tucker
Smart Bets: Delia Owens
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