The novel covers events in the period 1952 to 1970 and the central character is Kya Clark, known to the local rural community of Barkley Cove as “the swamp girl”. The North Carolina setting of the novel is crucial because Kya becomes an integral part of it The story is told on two timelines. It opens in 1969 with the discovery of a body in an old tower beside the swamp. The victim is Chase Andrews, a local man, the sporting pride of Barkley Cove, suave, confident and outgoing, he is married but has a reputation as something of a playboy. The local police begin their investigation, then it reverts to 1952 where six year-old Kya, the fifth and youngest child of a ‘swamp’ family watches her fragile mother walking down the dirt track away from their home, leaving for good. Kya’s father is a violent drunk and Kya’s older siblings gradually leave the home too, unable to bear his aggressive dominance. This leaves Kya on her own with her father. At times they are able to live relatively agreeably together – he sometimes gives her money from his war pension (the family’s only income) and she is able to purchase supplies from the town – but mostly, he disappears, sometimes for days at a time, and Kya is forced to learn to fend for herself. Eventually he disappears altogether and Kya grows up alone developing an intimate knowledge of the natural world of the swamp, living in harmony with it. Kya’s progress, from small child learning to live by her wits to beautiful young woman living alone and fending for herself, is told alongside the story of the police investigation into Chase Andrews’ murder. The account of the trial is told in gripping detail in a way that is reminiscent ofTo Kill a Mockingbird. I really enjoyed reading this book, the characters are all strong, fully thought through and well-rounded. I haven't seen the film and not sure that I want to because when books like this are so beautifully written, I often find something is lost when made for the big screen.
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I saw the film multiple times and in moments it did feel like poetry and her innocence and facial and eye expression, her body language, were conveyed perfectly by the actress. It was sublime and it was in technicolour and visceral and anguishing and triumphant.
The 'realness' factor, believability of this movie, it leaves it more in the fantasy sector as some have pointed out but, I am not one to bash a good escapist novel, not at all. <3 I LOVED the waters, the wildlife, the marshes. With joyous ecstatic abandon, I WAS DIVING into the water with her..EXHILARATING and sensorially titillating, and I am a fan :D <3
Thank you. For this post. I APPRECIATE crossing paths, with a fellow book worm.
[quote] I haven't seen the film and not sure that I want to because when books like this are so beautifully written, I often find something is lost when made for the big screen.[/quote] I wanted to touch on this. I understand this. I seldom read a book and watch the movie, it's usually one or the other, generally one or the other is a disappointment, such as my experience with Dances with Wolves, the book was exceptional. The only one I read AND watched was the Horse Whisperer, very different but I enjoyed both. I can't say I was enthralled and loved the book, no, that is reserved for Dances with Wolves.
And I will add that one of my favourite movies of all time, Contact, which is based on Carl Sagan's book of the same name, I have seen it many times and LOVE it. I have the book :) , but of course. However I dare not touch it to read it, you see, to me, this is a perfect movie, even in the flaws, it's my heart movie and I don't want anything to tarnish that, not even the book. Who can say, maybe one day, I WILL read the book. I may be 'ready for another adventure' :)
Happy journeys in your body/mind/heart/spirit, Sunstone, Luna.
