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The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus: A Novel Audiobook, by Emma Knight Play Audiobook Sample

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus: A Novel Audiobook

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus: A Novel Audiobook, by Emma Knight Play Audiobook Sample
Release Date: January 7, 2025
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Read By: Saskia Maarleveld Publisher: Penguin Audio Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 6.83 hours at 1.5x Speed 5.13 hours at 2.0x Speed
Release Date: January 7, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9798217016396

Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

57

Longest Chapter Length:

23:20 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

10 seconds

Average Chapter Length:

10:40 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

2

Other Audiobooks Written by Emma Knight: > View All...

Publisher Description

“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

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.

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"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

Quotes

  • “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“Charm on every page. . . enthralling. Academia, friendship, young love, and family secrets, this is as smart as it is delicious, as nostalgic as it feels fresh. . . Knight is a blazing new literary talent.
  • “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
  • Whip smart, unrestrainedly fun, and bursting with heart. . . A novel about finding ourselves, falling in love, and meeting that precious group of friends whom we call family. . . Joyous, clever, and wholly transportive.

    — Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters
  • Charm on every page. . . enthralling. Academia, friendship, young love, and family secrets, this is as smart as it is delicious, as nostalgic as it feels fresh. . . Knight is a blazing new literary talent.

    — Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
  • Charm on every page. . . enthralling. Academia, friendship, young love, and family secrets, this is as smart as it is delicious, as nostalgic as it feels fresh. . . Knight is a blazing new literary talent.

    — Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Knight’s gorgeously intimate, cleverly insightful wordsmithing will certainly impress and entertain.

    — Booklist

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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.