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The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus

A Novel

Hardcover
$29.00 US
0"W x 0"H x 0"D   | 18 oz | 12 per carton
On sale Apr 08, 2025 | 304 Pages | 9780593830451
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.
Praise for The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus:

“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.”
—Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push

© Anthony Green
EMMA KNIGHT is Co-Founder and Head of Brand at Greenhouse, an award-winning Canadian organic beverage company. Emma is a co-author of The Greenhouse Cookbook (2017), a national bestseller. Her work has appeared in a number of Canadian and international publications. Emma lives in Toronto with her husband and two daughters. View titles by Emma Knight

About

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.

Praise

Praise for The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus:

“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.”
—Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push

Author

© Anthony Green
EMMA KNIGHT is Co-Founder and Head of Brand at Greenhouse, an award-winning Canadian organic beverage company. Emma is a co-author of The Greenhouse Cookbook (2017), a national bestseller. Her work has appeared in a number of Canadian and international publications. Emma lives in Toronto with her husband and two daughters. View titles by Emma Knight