Remarkably bright creatures
(Media Player)

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a luminous debut novel about a widows unlikely friendship with a curmudgeonly giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium—and, when a mysterious grifter comes to town, the truths all three unlock about her sons disappearance 30 years ago. After Tova Sullivans 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 shes been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over thirty years ago. As she works, Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldnt dream of lifting one of his eight tentacles for his human captors—until he forms an unlikely friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tovas son disappeared. As his affection for Tova grows, Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before its too late. Charming, compulsively readable, and full of wit, Shelby Van Pelts debut novel is a beautiful exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope—a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.