Welcome to the final discussion of Where the Crawdads Sing.
What did you think about the ending? Was it what you hoped? Were you surprised at all by all of the things that went down?
At the beginning of this part, we learn that Chase attacked Kya, and she apparently screamed that she wanted to kill him. I think that's a pretty justified reaction to the way he treated her. Now, Kya is not able to feel safe at home, and really, there's no way to guarantee that she will be safe. No one would believe her if she said that Chase hurt her. And, she's so isolated from everyone else.
Were you surprised that the red cap that helped put Kya behind bars was originally Tate's? Do you think that cap shows that Kya was at the scene of the crime?
During the trial, a lot of the testimony and evidence against Kya seemed ridiculous. The part where the prosecutor accused her of dressing up in elaborate disguises to ride the bus to and from Greenville was something else. Didn't that sound like a wild thing for someone to do? And, the evidence of the tide washing away footsteps and the man who thought he recognized her outline--those things really weren't very conclusive. What did you think about those details in the trial? Did you believe that she would dress up in a disguise or do the things they accused her of?
Kya's lawyer was really good at making those accusations look faulty, and he did a good job of making the townspeople feel really guilty for completely abandoning Kya. She really lucked out with the lawyer she was assigned. I was so relieved when she was cleared of the charges. I thought it was really sad after the whole trial that Kya said, "I never asked people for anything. Maybe now they'll leave me alone" (p. 350). All she wanted was to be left to her own devices, and people really were so mean to her her entire life. She never got a fair chance at love and acceptance.
When Tate gets hauled into that police boat, I thought for sure that he was going to be arrested for the murder or something--since his hat was the red hat and there were red fibers. I wasn't expecting for his father to be dead. I was glad that his father's passing caused Kya to reach out, and I'm glad they were able to be reconnected with each other.
I was really satisfied with the ending--right up until the very last page. I was glad that Tate and Kya were married and had a good life together. I was glad that Kya acknowledged that Jumpin' was her dad, and it was awesome that she was able to keep writing and keep being successful. But, the very end was not my favorite. I felt a little duped when I realized that Kya had killed Chase and all of the outlandish accusations at her trial were true. I know she would have never felt safe again if he had lived, but it was still hard to read that she was the one who did it. What did you think about the fact that Tate destroyed the evidence at the end? Do you think he was disappointed in Kya? Do you think that last revelation colored his whole relationship with her?
Were you happy with the way the book ended? Did you feel a little duped at the end? What did you like the most in this last section?
I hope you enjoyed reading this book this month! If you'd like to read similar titles, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!
Before you go, check out this interview where Delia Owens gives a little more insight into her characters.
I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the end of the story in the comments! And, I hope you'll join us again next month as we read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
Add a comment to: Where the Crawdads Sing, Week 4