I’ll be honest with you, I’ll read anything that has an octopus in it. Obviously, you might need some more convincing than me to read this delightful book. So meet Marcellus, a resident (or prisoner) of the Sowell Bay Aquarium who holds dear to his heart (the other two just pump oxygen around) Tova Sullivan, the woman who cleans the aquarium each night.

Tova, the aquarium’s oldest employee is a widow whose son has also tragically died. She spends her day doing crosswords, keeping her house in perfect order and meeting with her dwindling group of friends, the Knit-Wits, who are all moving in with their grown-up children and making plans for the next stage of their lives.

But Tova doesn’t have anyone to make plans with and the mystery surrounding her son’s death traps her in a life that, on the surface, looks perfectly fine, but deep inside sees her feeling very lonely. Her life is predictable and ordinary until the night she finds Marcellus tangled in power cords after treating himself to the staff’s leftovers in the break room.

So begins a new friendship (of sorts) that slowly sees Tova’s heart opening to new possibilities and inches her closer to uncovering the story behind her son’s death, in which Marcellus holds the key.

Interwoven in this story of longing is a cast of delightful characters who are all looking for the same thing … to be seen, to be known and to be loved. The characters are real and completely believable (even Marcellus), so you feel all their misunderstandings, grief and loneliness deeply, but not in a heavy way.

Their quiet lives are so full of wonder and hope. This should be a reminder to all of us that even what we think is ordinary, is extraordinary to someone.

Reviewed by Anabel Pandiella

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