The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus: A Read with Jenna Pick: A Novel by Emma Knight

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY

A witty, atmospheric, and brilliantly told novel that offers compelling portraits of womanhood, motherhood and female friendship, along with the irresistible intrigue surrounding an extraordinary British family

Arriving at the University of Edinburgh for her first term, Pen knows her divorced parents back in Canada are hiding something from her. She believes she’ll find the answer here in Scotland, where an old friend of her father’s—now a famous writer known as Lord Lennox—lives. When she is invited to spend the weekend at Lord Lennox’s centuries-old estate with his enveloping, fascinating family, Pen begins to unravel her parents’ secret, just as she’s falling in love for the first time . . .

As Pen experiences the sharp shock of adulthood, she comes to rely on herself for the first time in her life. A rich and rewarding novel of campus life, of sexual awakening, and ultimately, of the many ways women can become mothers in this world, The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus asks to what extent we need to look back in order to move forward.

Review

Praise for The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus:

”Undeniably delicious . . . . A tantalizing yet quietly touching debut about inheritance, emerging sexuality and what it truly means to come into one’s own.”

—The New York Times

“A spellbinding debut about friendship, motherhood, first love, and the choices that bind us. . . I couldn't put it down!” —Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Summer Will Be Different

“An amazingly accomplished debut.”

—Oprah Daily

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DC2ZRKNQ

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Random House Usa

Publication date ‏ : ‎ 7 Jan. 2025

Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Print length ‏ : ‎ 384 pages

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 9798217059324

Item weight ‏ : ‎ 369 g

Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.3 x 2.4 x 22.8 cm