On my way home from the lake, I finished reading Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. It was suggested by a friend of mine, and even though I thought it sounded a little far out, I decided to give it a chance. It’s the story about an unusual friendship that develops in an aquarium in Sowell Bay, Washington. An elderly woman named Tova Sullivan, the aquarium cleaning lady, befriends an elderly giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus.
Marcellus is quite marvelous. He can escape from his tank whenever he wishes, has keen insight into humans, and only wishes to return home to the sea for the final days he knows he has left. Tova quickly discovers the unique abilities of this octopus, and they begin communicating in quite remarkable ways. Tova, having recently widowed, and has tragically lost a son, feels a deep connection with Marcellus. Each night Tova goes to clean, she checks in on him, and in return, Marcellus has complete trust in her. It’s not until Tova takes a tumble off of a foot stool one evening in the aquarium and sprains her foot, that a new employee takes the stage.
In comes Cameron, a young man with little direction in life, abandoned by his mother at the age of nine, and who comes to town from Modesto, California searching for his unknown father. Cameron is hired to take over Tavo’s duties while she’s healing and quickly discovers there is more to Marcellus the giant mollusk than anyone knows. Anyone but Tavo, who shows up at the aquarium at night, missing her job and Marcellus. Tavo, though not actually on the time clock at the aquarium, shares with Cameron the secret of Marcellus’s nightly rendezvous. She also imparts knowledge of the job and of life. Tavo, though dealing with her own struggles and decisions she must make, hopes this young man will find his way. Little do either of them know that Marcellus has always held the key to how they move forward.
When I first began this book, I thought it moved a little slow, wasn’t sure where all the characters fit together. I’m so glad I stayed with it, because I soon became totally engrossed in the story line. It was a wonderful combination of perspectives between an older generation and the young. The relationships formed between humans and the animal world was quite touching. If you’d like to get off the same genre reading wheel and try something new, I would suggest you give this novel a look. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
Cheers!
