A quick warning, this episode contains mention of sexual assault.

The new film Where the Crawdad's Sing tells the story of a mysterious death in the marshes of

1960s North Carolina. It's a tale of isolation, abuse, and resiliency based on Delia Owens' best

selling 2018 novel. I'm Stephen Thompson and today we are talking about Where the Crawdad's

Sing on Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR. Joining me today is NPR Senior Editor Barry Hardiman

Hi Barry. Hi. So glad to have you here. Also joining us is Greta Johnson host of the NERDET

podcast from WBZ Hi Greta. Hey Stephen, hey Barry, I'm super excited to be here. Yay!

I'll talk about anything with y'all. Well we're gonna talk about this. So,

Delia Owens' novel Where the Crawdad's Sing is a blockbuster bestseller. It has sold more

than 10 million copies thanks in part to its selection for Reese Witherspoon's Book Club.

Now Witherspoon is an executive producer on this movie adaptation. The film stars Daisy Edgar

Jones as Kaya, who was abandoned in the marshes of North Carolina as a child and raised her

self into adulthood. She's an outcast in the nearby town of Barkley Cove, where most of the

residents refer to her as Marsh Girl. But Kaya attracts the interest of two different young men.

Tate, played by Taylor John Smith, teaches Kaya how to read and write before heading off to college.

Chase, played by Harris Dickinson, also courts her, but he turns up dead in the marsh,

leading Kaya to be charged with murder. The story that unfolds is part mystery, part courtroom

drama, part love triangle, and part nature film. Along the way we meet Kaya's lawyer,

played by David Stratharne, and the town's helpful black shopkeepers played by Michael

Hyatt and Sterling Macer Jr. The film is directed by Olivia Newman and the screenplay was adapted

by Lucy Alabar, who co-wrote the screenplay for Beasts of the Southern Wild. Greta, I'm going to

start with you. What is your relationship with this story and what did you think of the movie?

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