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  • Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley book cover
  • Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley book cover
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Lily and the Octopus

by Steven Rowley

Love, attachment, and letting go

$17.09 USD
$28.49 USD $17.09 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

Love, attachment, and letting go

Ted, a single writer whose closest bond is with Lily, his elderly dachshund, faces a crisis when her health is compromised. His determination to save her leads the novel into an adventure that blends everyday companionship with elements of magic realism. The relationship gives the story a way to explore fierce attachment, loneliness, loss, and the difficulty of accepting change, while keeping a human-and-dog bond at the center. Lily and the Octopus brings its concerns about intimacy and grief into a story shaped by the particular closeness between a person and an aging pet.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • For readers interested in stories about the bond between people and companion animals.
  • For readers drawn to fiction about intimacy, grief, and letting go.
  • For readers open to a story that combines an everyday relationship with magic realism.

Themes

Human-animal bondsIntimacy and lonelinessLoss and letting goMagic realism

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

A national bestseller combining the emotional depth of The Art of Racing in the Rain with the magical spirit of The Life of Pi, "Lily and the Octopus is the dog book you must read this summer" (The Washington Post).Ted--a gay, single, struggling writer is stuck: unable to open himself up to intimacy except through the steadfast companionship of Lily, his elderly dachshund. When Lily's health is compromised, Ted vows to save her by any means necessary. By turns hilarious and poignant, an adventure with spins into magic realism and beautifully evoked truths of loss and longing, Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all. Introducing a dazzling and completely original new voice in fiction and an unforgettable hound that will break your heart--and put it back together again. Remember the last book you told someone they had to read? Lily and the Octopus is the next one. "Startlingly imaginative...this love story is sure to assert its place in the canine lit pack...Be prepared for outright laughs and searing or silly moments of canine and human recognition. And grab a tissue: "THERE! WILL! BE! EYE! RAIN!" (New York Newsday).
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