Marcellus is a Great Pacific Octopus with incredible intelligence and a deadpan sense of humor as he discusses his captivity and his observations, specifically in connection to Tova, the 70-something night cleaner at the aquarium. Tova’s son Eric died in a boating accident just after graduating high school 30 years ago, and her husband Will died from cancer a year ago. Wrought by grief, Tova chooses to keep most of her emotions to herself, despite her weekly hangouts with the KnitWits and her regular chats with Ethan at the grocery store. Instead, Tova connects with the sea creatures at the aquarium, greeting them each evening with a bit of whimsy, and developing a particular connection with Marcellus after she discovers him coiled up in wires after escaping his tank. 

The third main character, Cameron, was raised by his aunt after his mother left him at age nine. This abandonment has carried him through his life, and he has developed a tendency to get fired from every job he has held without taking responsibility for anything. After his girlfriend breaks up with him and he loses his job, Cameron decides to embark on a journey to find his father, whose class ring and photographs Cameron believes to have found in a bundle from his aunt. This brings Cameron to Sowell, and he fills in as a temporary cleaner after Tova sprains her ankle at work, and thus the storylines are connected. 

It was clear from the outset that Cameron would wind up being Tova’s grandson, but watching the two of them discover the connection with Marcellus’s guidance was heartwarming and moving.