“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
“Brimming with heart, The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus is a story about parents and children, friends and lovers, and that moment when a young person must strike out on her own to claim the life she most wants. Emma Knight swept me off my feet.”
—Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street
“I’m in love with this luminous debut—the charm on every page, the enthralling cast of characters, the dialogue to die for. Academia, friendship, young love and family secrets, this is as smart as it is delicious, as nostalgic as it feels fresh. I wish I could read it all over again for the first time. Emma Knight is a blazing new literary talent.”
—Ashley Audrain, #1 bestselling author of The Push and The Whispers
“Wonderfully crafted, Emma Knight's story of friendship, family secrets and first love made me nostalgic about the act of reading itself. Mystery, intrigue, posh Scots and academia, it's a book to lose yourself in. Pro tip: carry it around the house, like I did, for maximum snatched read-time. A beautifully written, page-turning delight!”
—Fran Littlewood, New York Times bestselling author of Amazing Grace Adams
“Sally Rooney fans, take note! Emma Knight's witty, wistful debut will keep you up all night, pondering the mystery and romance at its core, and rooting for Knight's irresistible heroine. I loved it.”
—Joanna Rakoff, international bestselling author of My Salinger Year
“Addictive, nostalgic and comforting, this layered family mystery crept round my heart like a modern-day Dodie Smith.”
—Claire Daverley, international bestselling author of Talking at Night
“Whip smart, unrestrainedly fun, and bursting with heart, readers will fall in love with the rambling, glorious world of Talmòrach and the secretive, aristocratic family of Lord Lennox. A novel about finding ourselves, falling in love, and meeting that precious group of friends whom we call family, Knight’s debut is the modern-day Mitford novel I’ve been searching for. Joyous, clever, and wholly transportive, I loved every page!”
—Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters
