This post discusses the events that took place in part 1 of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
Where the Crawdads Sing Part 1 Summary:
What Happened so Far? Kya’s journey since the start of the novel can be described with one word: waiting. In the first chapter, Kya’s mother leaves their home in the marshes with nothing but a blue train case and gator heels. Kya was six years old at the time. She’s been waiting for her to return since. But the longer she waits, the more others seem to leave. First her Ma, then her brother Jodie, and finally her Pa, until she is left all alone to learn how to survive in the wilderness.
In Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, we watch Kya grow up in the marsh alone. We see how she interacts with her environment–her first discoveries, and awkward experiences. Though she may not see it, it’s impressive how far she’s come practically on her own.
After meeting Tate, she learns more about the world, including how to read. Soon they fall in love, but Tate leaves her like the rest of her family who said they care about her.
Is Tate’s Abandonment Forgivable?
Too many years have gone by since Tate was supposed to return, provoking the deep wound of abandonment Kya carried since her childhood. Her whole life she’s felt unwanted, discarded, and forgotten, as if she isn’t worth being brought along.
Tate knows this. Kya opened up to him about how everyone left her. With a mother and sister who passed away in a car crash, Tate has felt that same emptiness of when the role of a mother goes unfulfilled. He also understands the pain of when the sister he once clanged to suddenly disappears from his life.
Each day that passed, I was just as naive as Kya who thought that if she waited a little longer, Tate would show up again. The way he treated Kya seemed too gentle and too sweet. But many years have passed by, and he has not, even though he told her he loved her.
When Kya finally accepted that he wouldn’t come back, she fell into a deep despair, concluding that she cannot trust anyone. The wound that Tate was meant to heal was instead dug deeper. Kya suspects it’s because he met a college girl that made him forget her. I don’t think this is the case. In fact, I suspect that Tate has thought about Kya as much as she’s thought about him.
“The lonely became larger than she could hold. She wished for someone’s voice, presence, touch, but wished more to protect her heart.” – Where the Crawdads Sing, Page 146 (Chapter 21)
As of now, I’m sure Tate will reenter the story, but when he does (and when we learn why), will his actions be forgivable? Even if he has the greatest reason in the world, he managed to affect Kya in such a deep way. When he comes back, should she let him in her life? What circumstances will make this acceptable?
Predicting the Future: What Do I Think Will Happen?
So here I go again, trying to predict the future once more after failing so miserably in my other reads.
With Tate out of the picture, I assume that Kya is going to meet and fall in love with Chase. As we know, Chase is dead and the detectives are trying to solve the murder case.
Let’s take a shot at solving the case right now with the most obvious possibility: After Kya inevitably falls in love with Chase, I think Tate will reenter the picture and kill Chase in a jealous rage. Seems simple enough, almost too simple to actually come to pass.
Maybe it’s something else. Perhaps some sort of confrontation will happen between the two (Chase and Tate), and knowing Kya’s expertise of living in the wilderness, she is the one who covers up the murder. There are so many possibilities and it’s too soon to guess what will happen. Let’s keep reading to find out.
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