Synopses & Reviews
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).
Review
"Sensitive, hilarious, and emotionally rewarding....The intimacy of pet ownership is sweetly suffused throughout this heartwarming autobiographical fiction...In generous helpings of bittersweet humanity, Rowley has written an immensely poignant and touchingly relatable tale that readers (particularly animal lovers) will love." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Steven Rowley’s touching, fresh, energetic novel isn’t simply another 'boy and his dog' story. It is a profound exploration of grief — how we find ourselves lost, how we search for reason, how we sacrifice ourselves for our loved ones, all to avoid paying the octopus. But the octopus will be paid. And in settling that debt, in the magical, hopeful world of Lily and the Octopus, we will learn to live — and love — again. A wonderfully moving story." Garth Stein, bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
Review
"Startlingly imaginative...Lily and the Octopus is a love story 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!" Newsday
Review
"Lily and the Octopus is the dog book you must read this summer….Reading this heart-wrenching but ultimately breathtaking novel was a very profound experience…. As Lily might say, 'YOU! MUST! READ! THIS! BOOK!'" The Washington Post
About the Author
Steven Rowley has worked as a freelance writer, newspaper columnist, and screenwriter. Originally from Portland, Maine, he is a graduate of Emerson College. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his boyfriend and their dog. Lily and the Octopus is his first novel.