“I wadn't aware that words could hold so much. I didn't know a sentence could be so full.”

This is one of those stories that creeps up on you and hollows out your insides. Our protagonist Kya, is the embodiment of resilience, self reliance and loneliness after she is slowly abandoned by everyone in her life, left with her marsh; her family and caregiver. A perfect balance of character study and well-paced plot, stunning prose and a quiet loveliness to the writing.
This book explores themes of loneliness, seclusion, prejudice, socioeconomic inequality, race, and what happens when someone is rejected by a close-nit society. But despite the nuanced melancholy, there is a constant undercurrent of hope – and how sometimes that is enough to allow someone to thrive.

Kya, our Marsh Girl, has fast become one of my favorite protagonist.

10/10 recommend reading this via audiobook – it is incredibly layered and the narration adds so much depth to the story.