Bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt to appear at Rosehill Oct. 21

Author of “Remarkably Bright Creatures” will discuss her acclaimed novel with librarian Nancy Pearl

A lonely widow, a mysterious disappearance and an unusually perceptive giant Pacific octopus have helped make “Remarkably Bright Creatures” a literary sensation, selling more than 2 million copies.

Now the woman who created those characters is coming to Mukilteo.

Bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt will appear at Rosehill Community Center from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, as part of Sno-Isle Libraries' 2026 Reads Together program.

Van Pelt will be joined by celebrated librarian and author Nancy Pearl for a conversation about the novel, its inspiration and the story behind its success. Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions, and a book signing will follow the presentation. Edmonds Bookshop will provide books for purchase.

Published in 2022, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” tells the story of Tova Sullivan, a widow who takes a night-shift cleaning job at the fictional Sowell Bay Aquarium after the death of her husband.

For more than 30 years, Tova has struggled with the mysterious disappearance of her 18-year-old son, Erik, who vanished from a boat in Puget Sound.

At the aquarium, she develops an unlikely friendship with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus who possesses extraordinary intelligence and an understanding of the people around him.

As their relationship develops, Marcellus begins piecing together clues about the disappearance, setting in motion a story about grief, friendship, family secrets and the possibility of finding hope after loss.

The novel's Pacific Northwest setting has particular relevance for local readers. Van Pelt was born and raised in Tacoma and now lives with her husband and two children in the Chicago suburbs.

Her debut novel became an instant New York Times bestseller and earned the 2023 Heartland Prize for Fiction and the McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize from The Writer's Center.

The Mukilteo appearance is part of Sno-Isle Reads Together, a community reading initiative designed to bring residents together around a shared book and encourage discussion about its characters, themes and ideas.

“Remarkably Bright Creatures” is this year's selection, with events throughout October offering readers opportunities to explore the novel and meet its author.

Van Pelt also will appear from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Oak Harbor Yacht Club, where she will be joined by author Matthew Sullivan, whose work includes “Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore.”

A third event, an online conversation with Van Pelt and Pearl, is scheduled for 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. Registration is required for the virtual program, which will be recorded for later viewing on the Sno-Isle Libraries YouTube channel.

The Sno-Isle Reads Together program is funded by the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation.

For additional information, visit sno-isle.org/reads-together.