This post discusses my thoughts and initial reaction after reading the ending of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This is a spoiler book review. Make sure you’re all caught up!
What do I Think of Where the Crawdads Sing Ending?
Finally, the journey of reading Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens has come to an end and needless to say, I feel a multitude of emotions. If I had to put words—or rather percentages—to communicate how I feel, I’d say I am 75% shocked and 25% betrayed. During Kya’s trial, I felt protective over her. I was offended that the town was attacking her simply because she was different and strange. With so many people attacking her, I was relieved that Tom stepped up to represent her. I scoffed at the logic the prosecutor argued during the trial. It sounded farfetched and fabricated. Now that the story has come to a close, his logic doesn’t sound so farfetched anymore.
Quick Recap:
Since the trial ended, Kya and Tate were drawn together once again. They grew old together in Kya’s cottage on the marsh until one day Tate stumbled across Kya’s lifeless body on her boat in a lagoon. Now that Kya was dead at 64 years old, Tate was tasked with finding her will and birth certificate. Instead, he found boxes hidden in her closet where he discovered mountains of poems written by Amanda Hamilton, suspiciously written in Kya’s handwriting. Then he found Chase’s seashell necklace that was missing throughout the trial. This confirms that Kya was the murderer after all, and she’s been concealing the truth in her poetry.
Am I upset at Kya? Not really. The morality of her actions was debatable. But I did feel betrayed. I can never seem to correctly guess the ending of any book I read. As Kya said in her poem, sunsets are never simple. She was a lot craftier than I realized.
The Truth Hidden in The Poems
Delia Owens made an interesting choice by leaving poems scattered throughout her book. I figured the poems played a significant part in the story, but I didn’t know how. Something felt missing. Now I know why.
Kya is Amanda Hamilton and Amanda Hamilton is Kya. Now that we know the truth, let’s revisit her poems with fresh lenses.
Analysis: Where the Crawdads Sing Poems with Page Numbers
There were 9 poems total written by Amanda Hamilton (or Kya), but today we’re going to focus on the 4 that give us hints about her connection to the murder. Here I will give you a full analysis of Kya’s poems sprinkled throughout the novel and what they could mean now that we have the full context:
I Must Let Go (P. 213)
Although this poem appears long before Kya carries out her plan, it’s a great indicator of her changing feelings toward Chase. After learning he got engaged to another girl, Kya steers her boat into the ocean to reflect on their relationship. She realizes Chase lured her in with the promise of marriage, got everything he wanted from her, then abandoned her for someone else. Kya is not necessarily upset. It’s common for male animals to move from female to female.
“I must let go now.
– Delia Owens, Page 213
Let you go.
Love is too often
The answer for staying.
Too seldom the reason
For going.
I drop the line
And watch you drift away.
“All along
You thought
The fiery current
Of your lover’s breast
Pulled you to the deep.
But it was my heart-tide
Releasing you
To float adrift
With seaweed.”
In this poem, Kya comes to terms with letting Chase go for good. He’s given her more reason to leave than stay. At the end, she releases him into the void of the “ocean,” asserting that her resolve lead him there instead of his new lover.
It’s hard not to notice that the way Chase lured Kya in with something she wanted only to take advantage of her is similar to how she lured him into her trap.
Sunsets are Never Simple (P. 249)
In this poem, we get a glimpse into how Kya sees the world. While standing on a beach and observing a beautiful sunset, Kya recites:
“Sunsets are never simple.
– Delia Owens, Page 249
Twilight is refracted and reflected
But never true.
Eventide is a disguise
Covering tracks,
Covering lies.
“We don’t care
That dusk deceives.
We see brilliant colors,
And never learn
The sun has dropped
Beneath the earth
By the time we see the burn.
“Sunsets are in disguise,
Cover truths, covering lies.
Although most of us are taken aback by the beauty of nature, we don’t always think of the complexities or dangers until it’s too late.
Kya is very much like a sunset. Chase, or any character for that matter, were enthralled by her beauty and innocence. But Kya is so much more than that. She is intelligent, crafty, and creative. Did she know Chase viewed her with such simplicity? Perhaps she used that to her advantage.
Never Underrate the Heart (P. 312)
Kya had just returned from Greenville a day ago when Jumpin’ informed her about Chase’s death. Kya did not confess or deny her involvement, but she did feign ignorance. As she walked home from Jumpin’s Wharf, she recited this poem:
“Never underrate
– Delia Owens, Page 312
The heart,
Capable of deeds
The mind cannot conceive.
The heart dictates as well as feels.
How else can you explain
The path I have taken,
That you have taken
The long way through this pass?”
This poem speaks of how her heart and emotions brought her down a path her mind cannot comprehend. This poem should have made it obvious that she was the culprit, except the author uses Jumpin’s thoughts to reminds us that this possibility would be impossible since she was in Greenville.
“Thank the Lawd she’d been in Greenval at the time ‘a his death, or they’d’a put this on ‘er, Jumpin’ thought.” – Delia Owen, page 312
The Firefly (P. 367)
This is the last poem in the novel which Tate found, confirming that Kya murdered Chase. It speaks of how Kya lured him to the tower and into her trap where he fell to his demise. She speaks of the look in his eyes as he fell, “First a question, then an answer, finally an end.” Then the love between them vanished for good.
The Firefly
– Delia Owens, Page 367
Luring him was as easy
As flashing valentines.
But like a lady firefly
They hid a secret call to die.
A final touch,
Unfinished;
The last step, a trap.
Down, down he falls,
His eyes still holding mine
Until they see another world.
I saw them change.
First a question,
Then an answer,
Finally an end.
And love itself passing
To whatever it was before it began
Based on the title alone, we can connect where Kya first conceived this idea. On page 142, Kya observed how female fireflies attracted the males with a light signal to lure them in. After mating, the female firefly ate them.
“The female got what they wanted–first a mate, then a meal–just by changing their signals” – Delia Owens, Page 142
Kya didn’t judge the fireflies for this cruel reality. In fact, she lured Chase in the same way.
Evil was not in play, just life pulsing on, even at the expense of some of the players. Biology sees right and wrong as the same color in different light.” – Delia Owens, Page 142-143
Similar to how Chase initially lured in Kya with the promise of marriage, Kya lured in Chase with the promise of love, like two players in a game. Nature was Kya’s best teacher in everything, including how to pull off something as complicated as murder.
Additional Book Club Questions for Where the Crawdads Sing
At the end of the novel, Delia Owens provides the reader with 13 thought-provoking book club questions. If that is not enough for you, I created more original questions for your book club to enjoy! If you’d like, answer these questions in the comments:
- Do you think Kya was justified in her action against Chase? Why or why not?
- How does Tate feel about the murder in your opinion?
- What was your favorite poem in the story? Why or why not?
- Was Tate deserving of forgiveness for abandoning Kya? Why or why not?