Basic Information : Synopsis : Characters : Expectations : Thoughts : Evaluation : Book Group : Book References : Good Quotes : Table of Contents : References
Basic Information:
Author: Shelby Van Pelt
Edition: eBook on Libby from Sacramento Public Library
Publisher: Ecco
ISBN: 9780063204157 (ISBN10: 0063204150)
Start Date: May 9, 2025
Read Date: May 13, 2025
368 pages
Genre: Fiction, Book Group
Language Warning: Low
Rated Overall: 4 out of 5
Fiction-Tells a good story: 4 out of 5
Fiction-Character development:5 out of 5
Synopsis (Caution: Spoiler Alert-Jump to Thoughts):
An intelligent octopus which has been rescued is now in an aquarium. The cleaning woman who recently lost her husband and close to 30 years ago lost her son. A drifter who was raised by his aunt. All of these characters make up a story where the octopus tries to communicate to people things which are obvious to him, but which the people do not recognize.
It is a story of loss and death. But also a story where the characters become whole through the efforts of an octopus. Van Pelt tells the story through the eyes of several characters as they gradually find there way to each other while dealing with their hurts.
Cast of Characters:
- Marcellus McSquiddles: Octopus
- Tova Sullivan: Main human character. Widow, cleaning woman for the aquarium. Lost her son Erik in what looks like a boating accident or suicide.
- Cameron Cassmore: Abandoned son of a mother who left him with Aunt Jeanne The father is unknown. Cameron is searching for him.
- Adam Wright: classmate of Erik. Just moved back to Sowell Bay
- Aunt Jeanne: Cameron’s aunt and sister to his mother Daphne
- Avery: Owns the surf sport shop in Sowell Bay and becomes Cameron’s girlfriend
- Barb Vanderhoof: Part of the Knit-Wits
- Brad: Husband of Cameron’s best from Elizabeth
- Daphne Ann Cassmore: Absent mother of Cameron.
- Dr. Santiago: Veterinarian, female-but this does not matter.
- Elizabeth and Brad Burnett: Best friends of Cameron.
- Elliot:
- Erik: Missing son of Tova, presumed drowned and maybe a suicide.
- Ethan Mack: Owner of the local grocery store. Also somewhat in love with Tova
- Janice Kim: Part of the Knit-Wits
- Jessica Snell: Real Estate lady for Sowell Bay
- Katie:Ex-girlfriend of Cameron
- Lars: Tova estranged brother. Died in a rest home.
- Mary Ann Minetti: Part of the Knit-Wits
- Simon Brinks: Real Estate Powerhouse for the area
- Tanner: Employee of local grocery store
- Terry Bailey: Director of the aquarium
- Will: Tova’s deceased husband
Recommendation: Val, from Book Group
When: February 2025
Why do I want to read this book: Book group book
Thoughts:
Chapters are usually told from one of the perspectives of the characters. The octopus’ perspective is mostly the number of days of this captivity.
Day 1,299 of My Captivity
Marcellus can read. There is a sign which says that octopuses are remarkably bright creatures. Not only is the name of the book, but this phrase is used a couple more times in the book in different contexts.
Two other facts presented in the book. One unimportant, the other is important. First, Marcellus McSquiddles was named by Terry’s daughter-Terry is the director of the aquarium. Second, an octopus’ lifespan is 1,460 days.
The 1,460 days looks like it is a device of fiction. The American Veterinary Medical Association says that an octopus wil like 1 to 5 years. But there are many things in the article which Van Pelt uses in the book.
The Silver-Dollar Scar
Introduces Tova Sullivan who is a night cleaner at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. This is both a fictional town, bay and aquarium. Tova is old and past an age where people retire. She has a son, Erik, who died at sea when he was 18 with no good reason why he died.
She finds Marcellus out of his tank and tangled in some cables. She releases him and he goes back to his tank leaving suction marks on her arm.
Day 1,300 of My Captivity
Talks about Marcellus’ diet. And how Tova saved him
Falsehood Cookies
The Knit-Wits have been her friends for years, and sometimes she still feels as if she’s a mistaken jigsaw piece who found her way into the wrong puzzle. They notice the marks on her arms and are concerned about them and wondering if she needs help. Tova does not want help. But enjoys the socialness of the group.
Talks about how Erik disappeared. She gets a call from a rest home that her brother Lars had died.
Day 1,301 of My Captivity
Marcellus says he can survive 18 minutes out of water. I saw several articles which indicated about 5 minutes up to 60 minutes. It sounded like it depended on the conditions. Such as how old the octopus was, what season it is and how moist the octopus is.
Describes what the author feels like it might be like for a dying octopus who cannot make it back to water. For a moment, I considered this option. Nothing was something. What might lie on the other side of life? Marcellus now calls this condition The Consequences
The Welina Mobile Park Is for Lovers
Introducing Cameron Cassmore. He lives in a place called Merced Valley near Modesto. This is another made up place. Also introduces us to Aunt Jeanne. Cameron is perpetually getting fired from construction jobs.
Day 1,302 of My Captivity
Marcellus is gaining weight. Unknown why.
June Gloom
Lays the groundwork for Ethan. Also talks about the unknown estrangement between Tova and her brother Lars who died.
Chasing a Lass
Day 1,306 of My Captivity
Marcellus has secrets, but no one to tell them to. He has one secret from his time in the ocean.
Baby Vipers are Especially Deadly
Aunt Jeanne gives Cameron a box of his mother’s stuff saying that Family’s important. He does not think so since his mother abandoned him. His live-in girlfriend throws him out of their apartment when she finds out he has been fired again. Brad and Elizabeth take him in for two days.
Cameron does not see that his bad luck is his own doing. Cameron wonders if there’s some sort of special tether children of normal families are granted. One for which he’s never been eligible.
Brad and Cameron are part of a band called Moth Sausage.
Day 1,307 of My Captivity
Marcellus loves fingerprints.
Muckle Teeth
Day 1,308 of My Captivity
Happy Endings
Ethan takes Tova to Lars’ rest home, which is amazingly nice, not nice like it is clean and cared for rather way beyond expected.
This is the second gathering of stuff belonging to people who they once cared for but were no longer part of their lives. Tova has no desire for Lars’ stuff.
She does take an application to live there.
Day 1,309 of My Captivity
Maybe Not Marrakesh
Cameron digs through his mother’s box. Mostly junk. But there is a class ring for Sowell Bay High School, Class of 1989. There is a picture of his mother and a man.
Bugatti and Blondie
Tova meets Adam Wright, a classmate of Erik.
She goes through Lars stuff and gets a reminder to Tova of how she is unlike many people.
Day 1,311 of My Captivity
Nothing Stays Sunk Forever
Terry thinks that Marcellus is escaping his tank and eating in different tanks, particularly the exhibits, such as the sea cucumber.
Marcellus found the house key she lost last year and gave it back to her.
Day 1,319 of My Captivity
The reason why he had kept the key is that he had seen the same key before in the ocean.
Not a Movie Star, But Maybe a Pirate
Cameron finds out that his mother did go to some school up at Sowell Bay and got in trouble there. Jeanne had to go up and bail her out. There is additional lettering on the ring: EELS. He also finds out that his mother and Simon Brinks were friends. Cameron is now certain he is his father.
The Technically True Story
Tova tells Marcellus the story of Erik’s death. The stool she has been standing on breaks and she lands a bit awkwardly. She cannot find the screw to put it back together. But Marcellus finds it behind a file cabinet and gives it back to her. Her ankle/foot is hurt and she cannot go to work the next day.
Got Baggage?
Cameron’s baggage is lost. He buys a broken down truck from a friend of a guy who he met at lost baggage.
Busted But Loyal
House Special
Day 1,322 of My Captivity
The Green Leotard
Not Glamorous Work
Cameron gets a job at the aquarium as maintenance and cleaning.
Day 1,324 of My Captivity
A Sucker for Injured Creatures
Avery uses the injured creatures line to describe Cameron.
Epitaph and Pens
With her injured leg, Tova figures it is about time to sell her house and move into the rest home which her brother Lars was in.
In reference to the writing on her husband’s headstone, sometimes less is more. I think that is good.
Conscience Does Make Cowards of Us All
Tova meets Cameron. Marcellus was making his escape out of the building when Cameron found him and tried to bring him back. It took Tova to get Marcellus back in the tank.
Expect the Unexpected
Always expect the unexpected. What does this really mean? You cannot live that way looking each moment for that which you do not expect. After all, if you are looking for it, aren’t you now expecting it?
Tova instructs Cameron about cleaning and about Marcellus.
Day 1,329 of My Captivity
Marcellus says that with his growing knowledge, he has learned contentment, even in his captivity. He has knowledge because he observes. One of the things he observes is how similar Tova and Cameron are and draws the conclusion that he is a direct descendent of her.
Hard Left, Cut Right
Avery and Cameron have gone on a few dates. Cameron has found the location of Simon Brinks Summer home and wants to pay a visit. Cameron seems to have found a strangely satisfying life. Ethan says that he will drive Cameron. Ethan talks a little bit about Tova and Erik on the drive. But the property Cameron has found is not Simon Brinks summer home. It is just a bluff overlooking the ocean. They get stuck and Cameron is impressive in getting the truck unstuck.
Day 1,341 of My Captivity
We all lie to obtain what we need. In the sea, creatures are masters of deception and mimic their surroundings. Humans are the only ones who subvert truth for their own entertainment.
A Three-Martini Truth
One of the Knit-Wits is moving away and they are having a going away party. Tova reveals she is working part time at the aquarium. It is revealed that Tova has her house on the market. Adam Wright comes in. He reveals that Erik had a girlfriend at the time of his death.
The Pier’s Shadow
Cameron and Avery go on a paddleboard date. Cameron finds out that Avery has a teen-age son who does not like other men in his Mom’s life. Avery relates how people talked with her about giving up Marcos. The conclusion was no matter what she did she was ruining her life. People and their opinions generally suck
There Was a Girl
An Unexpected Treasure
Marcellus becomes friends with Cameron.
Day 1,349 of My Captivity
Marcellus knows the connection between Tova and Cameron and will try to get them to see the connection.
Some Trees
Tova is packing away her house and giving most of it away. Being Swedish, she has a lot of heirlooms which nobody wants. She makes a wrye comment that They’ve no use for old Swedish things. They have their own dinnerware, probably from Ikea. New Swedish things. I snickered at this.
What is a Dala Horse? A Swedish toy. Another way of saying there is a lack of regard for old things and things which do not have sentiment. What happens when you outlive the people who share your memories?
Sandy, Adam Wright’s wife, meets Tova on chance at the grocery store. She tells Tova the name of the girl who Adam thought Erik was seeing before his death. The name is Daphne. There is only one Daphne in Erik’s yearbook, Daphne Cassmore.
An Impossible Jam
Day 1,352 of My Captivity
Marcellus hides Cameron’s driver’s license behind a statue,
The Bad Check
Ethan makes the connection between Cameron and Daphne from a bad check written many years ago. And he overheard Sandy say Daphne to Tova so he has made that connection as well.
The Downside of Free Food
Not a Date
Entering someone’s home is always an intimate act. I have a tendency to gravitate to a person’s bookshelf, if they have one. Particularly if I do not know them well.
Tova starts to clean up the kitchen while Ethan is away for a few minutes. She thinks that Ethan needs someone. But she also uses an old T-Shirt, which happens to be an original Grateful Dead concert T-Shirt he was saving. She leaves before Ethan can tell her something important about Daphne.
A Rare Specimen
Tova buys a replacement for $2,000 and drives 3 hours to a warehouse to pick it up. She hates to drive long distances.
Not Even a Birthday Card
Tova finds the driver’s license that Marcellus hid. Realizes that there is a connection between Erik - Daphne- Cameron.
What If
Amazing Bones
Tova makes good on replacing the Grateful Dead shirt to Ethan. Her last days in her house.
A Big, Bold Lie
Hot and dry” has a different meaning in Modesto, but lately Cameron finds himself nodding along, as if the Modesto is slowly draining out of him. Same here in Fresno. We humans tend to adjust to a place the longer we live there.
Cameron has an appointment with Brinks. Leaves a message with Marcos, her son.
The Sob
Cameron talks with Brinks. Brinks is not his father and the ring is not his. He was best friends with Daphne. Brinks talks about his mother. Cameron decides to go to Modesto instead of going back to his job.
A New Route
An Early Arrival
A new female octopus is brought in on Tova’s second to the last night
High and Dry
Cameron decides to quit and leave Sowell Bay. He only accidentally runs into Tova who tries to say he is better than quitting without notice. Cameron drops Daphne's ring into the eel tank.
Day 1,361 of My Captiv—Oh, Let Us Cut the Shit, Shall We? We Have a Ring to Retrieve.
Marcellus retrieves the ring.
A Goddamn Genius
On his way to California, the serpentine belt breaks on Cameron.
The Eel Ring
Marcellus risks his own death by going to an obvious place where Tova will see him. He has the ring which has EELS on it, This is Erik’s ring which Tova recognizes.
The Very Low Tide
Tova takes Marcellus and sends him back into the ocean.
Every Last Thing
Expensive Roadkill
Having fixed the truck, he sets out to return to Sowell Bay.
The Dala Horse
Cameron shows up at Tova’s house on her last day there. She enlightens Cameron about the significance of EELS on the ring. She has a grandson and Cameron a grandmother. She announces that she will not be going into the rest home.
He finds a hidden compartment in the old house which has Tova’s missing Dala Horse.
Day 1 of My Freedom
Marcellus reminisce on his release and his death so soon and concludes about humans, you can be remarkably bright creatures.
After All
Bounding time between Tova and Cameron. Ethan is getting more in the picture.
Acknowledgments
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
Evaluation:
This is Shelby Van Pelt’s first book. The story she writes is pretty good and her writing indicates she has potential for turning a good sentence. She draws her readers into the lives of main characters, telling the tale from their perspective with a bit of narration thrown in by Marcellus, the octopus.
Van Pelt does not try to hide the focal point of the story the finding of a father and what happens to a teenager who died young. One answered, one is beyond knowing. For the astute reader you know pretty much how the story will end, the question is the mechanism which will be used. In many ways this is a bit contrived, but this is a feel-good story, isn’t it?
This is a quick read, one which you can do in two to three hours in the comfort of your favorite reading place. Just do not expect life changing revelations, only an afternoon of enjoyment.
Notes from my book group:
Is Van Pelt’s book just a semi-feel-good story? Or are there lessons to be learned from it? If so, what are they? If not, what is the value of this book?
Why the title of Remarkably Bright Creatures? Why does she start the book and end the book with this observation? How does it illustrate the different perspectives humans and the octopus have?
How does the octopus see the world differently than the humans do? Why does Marcellus see things which are obvious to him, but not so to the humans?
Did any of you look up facts about octopus’? Which facts did Van Pelt present about Marcellus are true and which ones did Van Pelt bend a bit to fit her story? (octopus’ life, time out of water, ingenuity, cognitive abilities, …)
In what ways is the portrayal of Marcellus accurate? Where do you think Van Pelt stretches octopus’ abilities?
When did you make the connection between Tova - Erik - Daphne - Cameron? Do you think this was done well? How would you have made this part of the story better?
How does the loss of a loved one (Erik, Will, Daphne) affect this story?
Avery uses the injured creatures line to describe Cameron. How is this an appropriate description for him? Who else would you say has been scarred in this story? How has it affected their character?
How does each character deal with their grief? (A derivative of an RRD question)
Why do you think Erik died? Speculate on how this affected Daphne Cassmore? Do you think she had anybody to talk to about what happened? Was she already “messed up” before Erik’s death or did his death lead her to despair?
Marcellus says that with his growing knowledge, he has learned contentment. Is knowledge the road to contentment?
Describe Marellus’ fascination with fingerprints? What is Van Pelt trying to show us through Marcellus? Are the fingerprints and/or keys symbolic?
What friendships are talked about in the book? How are they formed and how are they maintained? What difficulties were talked about in these friendships? How can we learn about our need for maintainable friendships?
Tova thinks that The Knit-Wits have been her friends for years, and sometimes she still feels as if she’s a mistaken jigsaw piece who found her way into the wrong puzzle. Explain this thought? How can being the wrong puzzle piece in the wrong puzzle be right? Have you felt this or seen this in any of your groups?
Comment on this: We all lie to obtain what we need. … Humans are the only ones who subvert truth for their own entertainment.
In many fictional stories, you need to suspend what you know about this world. Where did you need to do that in this story? Did it enhance or detract your enjoyment of the story?
Marcellus thinks I considered this option. Nothing was something. What might lie on the other side of life? How do you answer this question?
Van Pelt says that Entering someone’s home is always an intimate act. How so?
What factors caused Tova to consider moving into a rest home? Why did she decide not to move in? Do you think her reasons for first deciding to go in, and then revoking that decision were good ones? What criteria would cause you to go into a rest home?
Marcellus has secrets, but no one to tell them to. How does this lead to his loneliness? Note: Paul Tournier in his book Secrets says that Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets.
In the middle of the novel, on page 177, Cameron says to Tova, “conscience does make cowards of us all.” What do you think he means by this statement? Do you agree with this?(RRD)
The story takes place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. How does this affect the story? How do you think the novel would be different if it were set somewhere like Arizona or Minnesota? Or in a more urban setting? Would you be content living in a town like Sowell Bay? (Part of questions is from RRD)
Marcellus’ life in captivity is much different than the life of an octopus in the wild --- and eventually, Terry reveals that Marcellus was rescued from the sea after a life-threatening injury.Aquariums play an important role in education and conservation, but some people view keeping animals, especially intelligent ones, in captivity with skepticism. What do you think? (RRD)
How do you want your life to change because you read this book?
Many of these questions are either from or adapted from LitLovers.
Why the title of Remarkably Bright Creatures?
Did the ending seem fitting? Satisfying? Predictable?
Which character was the most convincing? Least?
Which character did you identify with?
Which one did you dislike?
Every story has a world view. Were you able to identify this story’s world view? What was it? How did it affect the story?
In what context was religion talked about in this book? Why do you think religion was not talked about in this book?
Why do you think the author wrote this book?
What would you ask the author if you had a chance?
What “takeaways” did you have from this book?
Describe the culture talked about in the book.
How is the culture described in this book different than where we live?
Would you want to live in a small town where everybody knows your business
How did this book affect your view of the world?
What questions did you ask yourself after reading this book?
Talk about specific passages that struck you as significant—or interesting, profound, amusing, illuminating, disturbing, sad...?
What was memorable?
Reading Groups General Fiction Guide
From Reading Group Guides (RRD):
1. What kind of person do you think Marcellus would be if he were human? What qualities do Marcellus and Tova both share that make this remarkable friendship a success?
2. Each of these characters --- animal and human --- need each other in a specific way, even if they don’t realize this at first. What qualities bind these characters to each other? Are they connected by loss, grief or something else?
3. On page 9, Tova empathizes with the sharks in the big aquarium tank, musing that she “understands what it means to never be able to stop moving, lest you find yourself unable to breathe.” Why do you think she feels so compelled to keep busy? What would happen if she simply stopped?
4. In contrast to how Tova keeps busy, Cameron emerges as a character who deals with grief by remaining stagnant, refusing to even try to reach his potential, much to the frustration of those who care about him. Why do you think he sabotages himself? Have you ever had someone like this in your life?
5. Marcellus is extremely smart --- smarter than any human he encounters. Have you had encounters with animals --- octopuses or otherwise --- who demonstrated surprising levels of intelligence, emotional or otherwise? Have you felt “seen” by an animal or felt a relationship with an animal deepen upon earning their trust?
6. REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES takes place in a Pacific Northwest coastal town in the recent past. The watery Puget Sound setting plays a major role in the plot, but how else does the setting inform the novel? How do you think the novel would be different if it were set somewhere like Arizona or Minnesota?
7. Marcellus remarks on page 59 that “fingerprints are like keys, with their specific shape. I remember all keys, too.” From the house key Tova loses to the ring of keys Marcellus finds at the bottom of the sea, the novel is filled with various types of keys. What do you think keys symbolize in this novel?
8. Tova reflects on her experience caring for her husband through his illness and eventual passing, and with no surviving family to do the same for her, she worries about being a burden on her friends as she ages. How do you view the role of community and family in caring for older people? How did Tova’s views on this change throughout the book, and why do you think they did?
9. In the middle of the novel, on page 177, Cameron says to Tova, “conscience does make cowards of us all.” What do you think he means by this statement? Do you agree with this?
10. Tova’s Swedish Dala Horses are some of her most treasured possessions. Why do you think that is? Are there heirlooms in your family that carry a similar significance?
11. This novel explores different characters who are faced with major choices: they can open themselves up to something new and take an unexpected, daring opportunity, or they can continue on as they have been. Have you ever faced a moment in your life where a critical choice could change everything? Did you take the leap or not?
12. Marcellus’ life in captivity is much different than the life of an octopus in the wild --- and eventually, Terry reveals that Marcellus was rescued from the sea after a life-threatening injury.Aquariums play an important role in education and conservation, but some people view keeping animals, especially intelligent ones, in captivity with skepticism. What do you think?
13. In the last few pages of the novel, Tova and Cameron realize how they are truly connected.What do you imagine they are doing a year from the novel’s end?
From Book Girls Guide (BGG):
Read through the questions before your meeting and select your favorites so you can prioritize them. Most clubs won’t have time for every question, so start with those that you are most excited to discuss.
Did the book change how you think about zoos and aquariums after reading the thoughts of Marcellus? What are the pros & cons?
Although Tova gets lonely in her home, she opted to find an overnight position without co-workers. Discuss her choice and whether you prefer to work alone or in a group.
This book counters heavier topics with a lighter tone leading to a range of emotions as you read. What emotions did it elicit in you?
As Tova considered moving into the retirement community, did you hope she would embrace a new chapter or stay in her existing home with her friends nearby?
Optional follow-up: Have you considered your future living arrangements?
In their own ways, Marcellus, Tova, and Cameron were all at points in life where they could use a friend who was a cheerleader for their happiness. Who did you find yourself cheering for the most as you read?
While she didn’t need to work for money, Tova needed to stay busy and keep moving to survive and keep depression away. Conversely, Cameron’s circumstances and mental health had him remaining still in life. Did you relate to either character’s natural coping tendencies?
What do you think the significance of the Dala horse was to Tova? And why do you think Erik hid the one he had repaired?
At what point in the book did you know what Marcellus was trying to tell Tova? Were you surprised when the full story was revealed?
Many readers reported not liking Cameron at the beginning of the book. How did you feel about him, and did that change by the end of the book?
Some readers expect books with animals as main characters to be geared toward children rather than adults. How did you feel about this concept in an adult novel when you first started reading and did your opinion change throughout the book?
Optional follow-up: Have you read any other books you’d recommend with animal main characters?
Marcellus is both curmudgeonly and endearing. Did he remind you of any human characters from other books?
Has anyone seen the documentary My Octopus Teacher? How was the real Octopus similar to & different from Marcellus? Would you recommend the film?
We all know the saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but let’s be honest – many of us do. What was your first impression of this book based on the cover?
From the North Vancouver Public Library (NVPL):
1. What perspective does Marcellus bring to the story? What’s the relevance of him being an octopus, rather than another animal (or a human)?
2. How would you describe the relationship between Tova and Marcellus? Why does she feel such a connection towards the octopus?
3. How about the relationship between Tova and Cameron? How do they influence one another? What similarities (if any) do they share?
4. How did your understanding of Cameron evolve throughout the novel? Do you think that he changes at all by the end?
5. What role does Ethan play in Sowell Bay? What relationship does he have with fellow residents? In particular, with Tova?
6. What is the importance of the book’s setting, Sowell Bay? How does this small town in the Pacific Northwest influence the story?
7. The theme of grief runs throughout the novel. How do different characters cope with it?
8. Marcellus and Tova are both characters who grapple with the realities of getting older. How do they approach aging?
9. What is the role of friendship in the story? In particular, Tova has the Knit-Wits, and Cameron has Elizabeth and Brad back in California; how would you describe their relationship with those friend groups?
10. How about the role of family? At the start of the story, Tova, Cameron, and Ethan all for the most part have few (if any) close family connections. What is their relationship with ‘family’ – whether biological or chosen?
11. Did you like the way the book was written – with each chapter focused on a different character – and how the story’s mysteries unraveled as the book progressed? Did you have any lingering questions or thoughts after you finished?
12. Remarkably Bright Creatures maintained a presence on the best-seller list well after its May 2022 release, and still has lengthy holds lists at libraries over 2 years later – which is particularly notable for a first-time author. What do you think it is about the book that has made it resonate with readers? Do you understand the hype?
Also Marmalade and Mustard Seed (MMS)
Also Book Companion (BC)
- The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Good Quotes:
- First Line: darkness suits me.
- Last Line: And there’s a Scrabble game to win, after all
- Cover
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Day 1,299 of My Captivity
- The Silver-Dollar Scar
- Day 1,300 of My Captivity
- Falsehood Cookies
- Day 1,301 of My Captivity
- The Welina Mobile Park Is for Lovers
- Day 1,302 of My Captivity
- June Gloom
- Chasing a Lass
- Day 1,306 of My Captivity
- Baby Vipers are Especially Deadly
- Day 1,307 of My Captivity
- Muckle Teeth
- Day 1,308 of My Captivity
- Happy Endings
- Day 1,309 of My Captivity
- Maybe Not Marrakesh
- Bugatti and Blondie
- Day 1,311 of My Captivity
- Nothing Stays Sunk Forever
- Day 1,319 of My Captivity
- Not a Movie Star, But Maybe a Pirate
- The Technically True Story
- Got Baggage?
- Busted But Loyal
- House Special
- Day 1,322 of My Captivity
- The Green Leotard
- Not Glamorous Work
- Day 1,324 of My Captivity
- A Sucker for Injured Creatures
- Epitaph and Pens
- Conscience Does Make Cowards of Us All
- Expect the Unexpected
- Day 1,329 of My Captivity
- Hard Left, Cut Right
- Day 1,341 of My Captivity
- A Three-Martini Truth
- The Pier’s Shadow
- There Was a Girl
- An Unexpected Treasure
- Day 1,349 of My Captivity
- Some Trees
- An Impossible Jam
- Day 1,352 of My Captivity
- The Bad Check
- The Downside of Free Food
- Not a Date
- A Rare Specimen
- Not Even a Birthday Card
- What If
- Amazing Bones
- A Big, Bold Lie
- The Sob
- A New Route
- An Early Arrival
- High and Dry
- Day 1,361 of My Captiv—Oh, Let Us Cut the Shit, Shall We? We Have a Ring to Retrieve.
- A Goddamn Genius
- The Eel Ring
- The Very Low Tide
- Every Last Thing
- Expensive Roadkill
- The Dala Horse
- Day 1 of My Freedom
- After All
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Copyright
- About the Publisher
References:
- Publisher's Web Site for Book
- Author's Web Site
- Wikipedia-Book
- Wikipedia-Author
- Amazon-Book
- Amazon-Author
- Barnes and Noble
- GoodReads-Book
- GoodReads-Author
- New York Times Review
- NPR Interview
- PBS Review
- Kirkus Review
- Craig Foster
- Review by One Reading Nurse
- Review by Chick Who Reads Everything
- Review by Books, Bines, and Buffy
