Arriving at the University of Edinburgh for her first term, Pen knows her divorced parents back in Canada are hiding something from her. She believes shell find the answer here in Scotland, where an old friend of her fathersnow a famous writer known as Lord Lennoxlives. When she is invited to spend the weekend at Lord Lennoxs centuries-old estate with his enveloping, fascinating family, Pen begins to unravel her parents secret, just as shes falling in love for the first time . . .

As Pen experiences the sharp shock of adulthood, she comes to rely on herself for the first time in her life. A rich and rewarding novel of campus life, of sexual awakening, and ultimately, of the many ways women can become mothers in this world,The Life Cycle of the Common Octopusasks to what extent we need to look back in order to move forward.