While I’m always skeptical of a book’s movie adaptation, I’ve recently been more willing to give such films a chance. The perfect opportunity to do so came about when the movie adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing was released in July 2022, which features a best-selling novel with many big fans like me. If you are unfamiliar with the novel, it explores the life of Kya, a young girl who is abandoned by her family and left to grow up on her own in the marshlands of North Carolina. Where the Crawdads Sing explores independence, prejudice, and coming of age while adding a bit of murder mystery and romance to the mix, thus appealing to almost any audience.
When I first picked up the novel, I found that I had a lot of trouble putting it down as I was immediately enthralled with the beautiful imagery and the fascinating life of the main character. My hope was that the film would encapsulate the natural habitat and descriptions on the page, and I’m pleased to say that was the case. Along with stunning scenery, the characters were cast perfectly with leading actors such as Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya Clark, Taylor John Smith as Tate Walker, Harris Dickinson as Chase Andrews, and David Straithairn as Tom Milton.
Not only is the book mysterious, but so is the woman behind the writing. It wasn’t until later that I learned of the author, Delia Owens, and her controversial past surrounding the death of a suspected poacher in 1995. As a retired wildlife biologist, Owens and her husband ran a conservation project in Zambia where a death occurred during an anti-poaching patrol. The victim was never identified and the case was never solved. Owens denies any involvement in the incident and no charges were brought to her or her husband.
With more best-selling novels being featured on the big screen, I’m excited to see some of my favorite books take on a visual role. What are some of your favorite book to movie adaptations?