An Exploration of Friendship, Reckoning and Hope With Novelist Shelby Van Pelt

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We invite you to join us as we chat with the amazing New York Times bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt about her beloved novel "Remarkably Bright Creatures." You don’t want to miss this deep-dive exploration of friendship, reckoning, hope and so much more!

"Remarkably Bright Creatures" is a luminous debut novel about a widow’s unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium — and the truths she finally uncovers about her son’s disappearance 30 years ago.

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her 18-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over 30 years ago.

As she works, Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine, but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight tentacles for his human captors — until he forms an unlikely friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. As his affection for Tova grows, Marcellus must use every trick his old, invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Charming, compulsively readable, and full of wit, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a beautiful exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope – a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible. Register now for a conversation you just don't want to miss!

About the Author: Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel, "Remarkably Bright Creatures, was published by Ecco/HarperCollins (US) and Bloomsbury (UK) in spring 2022 and was an instant New York Times bestseller with a million and a half copies sold. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she’s now missing the mountains living in the Chicago area with her husband and two children.