About the Book:
For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.
Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.
Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
My Review:
Pure magic! Charming and funny, this is one of the most touching books I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. I can’t believe this is Shelby Van Pelt’s debut!
My favorite character has to the 60-pound octopus named Marcellus, who shares his brilliant observations about life and the human condition from inside his tank at a local aquarium. His relationship with the lonely widow Tova who cleans the aquarium nightly is the heart of this fantastic story.
There are special connections between all three main characters in the book, Tova, Marcellus and Cameron, a young man adrift in life who comes to work on the nightly cleaning crew at the aquarium. The author has a very idiosyncratic perspective, on life and this highly imaginative story is very unique. I laughed and cried while listening to this extraordinary book.
I highly recommend the audiobook version. Marin Ireland and Michael Urie are absolutely perfect!!