"Sällsynt kloka varelser" - Shelby Van Pelt

Sällsynt kloka varelser - Shelby Van Pelt

A heartwarming feel-good novel about friendship, hope, coming to terms with the past and the extraordinary bond between a human and an animal.

Tova takes a job as a cleaner at the local aquarium to give some structure to her days. Her husband has passed away, and her everyday life is now mostly divided between night shifts and meetings with her friends.

After the aquarium closes, Tova walks through its empty corridors with her mop and bucket, watched by the creatures living in the tanks. She develops a particularly unusual bond with Marcellus, an exceptionally intelligent octopus.

At the same time, a young man named Cameron arrives in town in search of his father. When Tova slips and injures her foot, Cameron takes over her night-time duties at the aquarium.

Neither Tova nor Cameron realizes that Marcellus is hiding an important secret. The octopus knows what happened many years earlier when Tova's son disappeared.

Sällsynt kloka varelser is an uplifting story about friendship and hope, coming to terms with the past and finding your place in the present.

Awards and recognition

more than 50 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list

nominated for the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards in the Best Debut Novel and Best Fiction categories

Why read Sällsynt kloka varelser in Swedish?

a worldwide bestseller that spent more than 50 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list

a warm, relaxing feel-good novel with subtle humour and an unusual protagonist

a moving story about friendship, hope, family relationships and coming to terms with the past

reading a full-length novel in Swedish helps expand your vocabulary, reinforce your language skills and develop reading fluency