Play Audiobook Sample
The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus: A Novel Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(0.00) - 0 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
A witty, warm and brilliantly told debut that is at once a love story, a story of female friendship and motherhood, and an irresistible mystery 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, intriguing family, Pen begins to unravel her parents’ secret and to fall in love for the first time...
Her best friend, Alice, an aspiring actor, is starring in a university production and making the most of the feminine power she wields—until a tryst with her tutor threatens to spin out of control.
As Pen experiences the sharp shock of adulthood, she uncovers the truth about her own family and 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.
Download and start listening now!
"“Whip smart, unrestrainedly fun, and bursting with heart, readers will fall in love with the rambling, glorious world of Talmòrach and the secretive, aristocratic family of Lord Lennox. A novel about finding ourselves, falling in love, and meeting that precious group of friends whom we call family, Knight’s debut is the modern-day Mitford novel I’ve been searching for. Joyous, clever, and wholly transportive, I loved every page!"
— Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters
Quotes
-
“I’m in love with this luminous debut—the charm on every page, the enthralling cast of characters, the dialogue to die for. Academia, friendship, young love and family secrets, this is as smart as it is delicious, as nostalgic as it feels fresh. I wish I could read it all over again for the first time. Emma Knight is a blazing new literary talent.
— Ashley Audrain, #1 bestselling author of The Push and The Whispers -
“The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus is a spellbinding debut about friendship, motherhood, first love, and the choices that bind us. Emma Knight whisks us away to Scotland, where Penelope Winters navigates her first year at Edinburgh University while untangling a family mystery. I couldn't put it down!
— Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Summer Will Be Different and Meet Me at the Lake -
“The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus is a spellbinding debut about friendship, motherhood, first love, and the choices that bind us. Emma Knight whisks us away to Scotland, where Penelope Winters navigates her first year at Edinburgh University while untangling a family mystery. I couldn't put it down!
— Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Summer Will Be Different and Meet Me at the Lake -
Brimming with heart, The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus is a story about parents and children, friends and lovers, and that moment when a young person must strike out on her own to claim the life she most wants. Emma Knight swept me off my feet.
— Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street -
I’m in love with this luminous debut—the charm on every page, the enthralling cast of characters, the dialogue to die for. Academia, friendship, young love and family secrets, this is as smart as it is delicious, as nostalgic as it feels fresh. I wish I could read it all over again for the first time. Emma Knight is a blazing new literary talent.
— Ashley Audrain, #1 bestselling author of The Push and The Whispers -
Wonderfully crafted, Emma Knight's story of friendship, family secrets and first love made me nostalgic about the act of reading itself. Mystery, intrigue, posh Scots and academia, it's a book to lose yourself in. Pro tip: carry it around the house, like I did, for maximum snatched read-time. A beautifully written, page-turning delight!
— Fran Littlewood, New York Times bestselling author of Amazing Grace Adams -
Sally Rooney fans, take note! Emma Knight's witty, wistful debut will keep you up all night, pondering the mystery and romance at its core, and rooting for Knight's irresistible heroine. I loved it.
— Joanna Rakoff, international bestselling author of My Salinger Year -
Addictive, nostalgic and comforting, this layered family mystery crept round my heart like a modern-day Dodie Smith.
— Claire Daverley, international bestselling author of Talking at Night -
Whip smart, unrestrainedly fun, and bursting with heart, readers will fall in love with the rambling, glorious world of Talmòrach and the secretive, aristocratic family of Lord Lennox. A novel about finding ourselves, falling in love, and meeting that precious group of friends whom we call family, Knight’s debut is the modern-day Mitford novel I’ve been searching for. Joyous, clever, and wholly transportive, I loved every page!
— Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters -
Brimming with heart, The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus is a story about parents and children, friends and lovers, and that moment when a young person must strike out on her own to claim the life she most wants. Emma Knight swept me off my feet.
— Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street -
I’m in love with this luminous debut—the charm on every page, the enthralling cast of characters, the dialogue to die for. Academia, friendship, young love and family secrets, this is as smart as it is delicious, as nostalgic as it feels fresh. I wish I could read it all over again for the first time. Emma Knight is a blazing new literary talent.
— Ashley Audrain, #1 bestselling author of The Push and The Whispers -
“Knight’s gorgeously intimate, cleverly insightful wordsmithing will certainly impress and entertain.
— Booklist
The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus Listener Reviews
Be the first to write a review about this audiobook!
About Saskia Maarleveld
Saskia Maarleveld is an experienced voice-over actress and Earphones Award–winning narrator. Raised in New Zealand and France, she is highly skilled with accents and dialects, and many of her books have been narrated entirely in accents other than her own. In addition to audiobooks, her voice can be heard in animation, video games, and commercials.