The Octopus and I – Erin Hortle (Allen & Unwin, $32.99)
Lucy lives with her boyfriend Jem, on the Tasman Peninsula. Recovering from breast cancer, she has become friends with two older women, Poppy and Flo, who gather and preserve the octopuses that are currently swamping the coast, trying to find safe havens to lay their eggs.
Lucy is fascinated by Poppy's preserving skills, and the cultural heritage inherent in her relationship with the creatures. She is also still psychologically healing from the news that her cancer was also in her womb and that she is now infertile.
Lucy develops an affinity for the octopuses, feeling their stories as they wrap tentacles around her in the water.
When she tries to rescue a creature as it attempts to cross a road dividing the ocean she is hit by a car, and her recovery is halted.
A theme in the novel is Lucy's female identity, bound up with that of the octopuses.
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