Tova Sullivan, a 70-year-old widow who cleans a Pacific Northwest aquarium at night. She forms an extraordinary bond with Marcellus.
Marcellus is a witty, highly intelligent giant Pacific octopus who makes it clear that he doesn’t really care for humans, except Tova. Tova rescues Marcellus the octopus when he gets tangled in a mess of cords. In return, the sharp-minded invertebrate grows fond of her, eventually using his late-night jailbreaks and keen observational skills to piece together what truly happened to Erik, Tova’s son who disappeared 30 years ago.
When Tova injures herself and is unable to work, the aquarium manager hires Cameron Cassmore, a good looking 30ish man who has travelled to town to meet his estranged father.
As Marcellus works behind the scenes to leave physical clues for the humans to find, Cameron’s identity and lineage become clear, tying the characters together into a new kind of family and bringing Tova long-sought closure and peace.
This book is amazing! I loved the snarky witty Marcellus, he’s a fabulous character. Tova, the grumpy elderly woman set in her ways, and Cameron, the total opposite of Tova are wonderful human characters – both seriously flawed, which makes them believable and endearing.
I recently watched the film starring Sally Field and it was as wonderful as the book. Highly recommend you read the book and then watch the film.
I read the audiobook this time, I have previously read the Kindle version of the book.
Read for the Read Between the Lines Reading Challenge 2026
Prompt 6: From an Animal’s Point of View
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
