THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE COMMON OCTOPUS

This ambitious novel, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, follows Penelope as she leaves her native Canada for college at the University of Edinburgh. Once in Scotland, Pen seeks out her father's estranged friend, Lord Lennox, who she thinks might be behind her parents' divorce. Lord Lennox, now a famous writer, invites Pen to his family's famed British estate, where she finds herself mixed up in decades-old drama while growing close to Lennox's oldest son. The first half of this audiobook moves slowly as the large cast of characters is introduced, but Maarleveld's steady voice becomes more animated as the mystery unfolds and the pace picks up. Maarleveld is an expert with accents, and her narration infuses this coming-of-age story with the perfect amount of tenderness. C.A.P. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2025]