"Painfully beautiful."--The New York Times Book Review

The story is set in Barkley Cove, a town on the North Carolina coast. There have been rumors of the "Marsh Girl" circulating around the town for years. In late 1969, a man named Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals suspect the Marsh Girl, Kya Clark. Kya has survived alone for years in the marsh that she calls home; she finds peace from nature and is very intelligent by learning from it. She learns from the wild and becomes a natural-born naturalist who takes life's lessons in stride by observing organisms in nature while in isolation. When Kya grows, she wants more than what her situation in life gives her, she is looking for someone to love and more importantly to love her back. With two men from town becoming intrigued with her wild nature, Kya opens up her closed and sensitive personality. The new life she embarks on is filled with an ode to the natural world, a murder mystery plot, and a beautiful coming-of-age story. This book is definitely one of my favorites and deserves all the recognition it has been given.

Reese Witherspoon has picked up this book to adapt to a film, and her other book club picks such as Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere have also been adapted to the screen. The release date is yet to be announced, with the pandemic development on this film has been delayed. Daisy Edgar-Jones will play the role of Kya, Taylor John Smith will play Tate Walker, and Harris Dickinson will play Chase Andrews. Olivia Newman will be directing and Lucy Alibar is writing the script. This is a film that I am looking forward to since there is so much to unpack with this novel. It is a book that will grant passage away from reality. If you need a brief vacation but can't go anywhere, I recommend this intriguing book.