The museum of ordinary people

Title:

Author:

Summary:

Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Jess is about to do the hardest thing she's ever done: empty her childhood home so that it can be sold. As she sorts through a lifetime of memories, everything comes to a halt when she comes across something she just can’t part with: an old set of encyclopedias. To the world, the books are outdated and ready to be recycled. To Jess, they represent love and the future that her mother always wanted her to have. In the process of finding the books a new home, Jess discovers an unusual archive of letters, photographs, and curious housed in a warehouse and known as the Museum of Ordinary People. Irresistibly drawn, she becomes the museum's unofficial custodian, along with the warehouse’s mysterious owner. As they delve into the history of objects in their care, they not only unravel heart-stirring stories that span generations and continents, but also unearth long-buried secrets that lie closer to home. -- Amazon.

General Note:

Includes Reading Group Guide (pages 327-330).

Edition:

First Grand Central Publishing edition.

Physical Description:

330 pages ; 20 cm.

Genre:

Domestic fiction.

Subject Term:

Grief -- Fiction.

Mothers -- Death -- Fiction.

Orderliness -- Fiction.

Inheritance and succession -- Fiction.

Family secrets -- Fiction.

Museums -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Grand Central Publishing,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9781538740842

Publication Information:

New York : Grand Central Publishing, 2023.

Call Number:

GAYLE

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003664821	New Adult Fiction	GAYLE Mike	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

In this "pure, unadulterated feel-good" and warmhearted novel, an old set of encyclopedias leads a young woman to a curious museum and one profoundly moving lesson: that every life is an extraordinary life ( Kirkus ).

BookRiot Most Anticipated Beach Reads of 2023

Shondaland Best Books of May

Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Jess is about to do the hardest thing she's ever done: empty her childhood home so that it can be sold. As she sorts through a lifetime of memories, everything comes to a halt when she comes across something she just can't part with: an old set of encyclopedias. To the world, the books are outdated and ready to be recycled. To Jess, they represent love and the future that her mother always wanted her to have.

In the process of finding the books a new home, Jess discovers an unusual archive of letters, photographs, and curious housed in a warehouse and known as the Museum of Ordinary People. Irresistibly drawn, she becomes the museum's unofficial custodian, along with the warehouse's mysterious owner. As they delve into the history of objects in their care, they not only unravel heart-stirring stories that span generations and continents, but also unearth long-buried secrets that lie closer to home.

Inspired by an abandoned box of mementos, The Museum of Ordinary People is a poignant novel about memory and loss, the things we leave behind, and the future we create for ourselves.

Author Notes

Mike Gayle is a freelance journalist and a former advice columnist who has written for Ms., The Sunday Times Style Magazine, Seventeen, The Express, and other U.K. publications. His first novel, My Legendary Girlfriend, sold 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom. He lives in London, England.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

Gayle's (All the Lonely People) latest follows Jess Baxter, who is at loose ends after her mother's death. Eschewing the help of friends and neighbors, Jess empties her mother's house, only to become undone when she comes across a set of old encyclopedias her mother gave her when she was young. Narrator Witney White ably transports listeners from the past, just after Jess's mother dies, to the present, as Jess disposes of her mother's estate. Jess's desperate attempts to find a home for the encyclopedias bring her to the Museum of Ordinary People, an unexpectedly magical place that takes in other people's treasures. There she meets Alex, the museum's new owner, and together they decide to transform the museum from a jumbled storeroom into a museum of note. White's characterizations shine, including Jess's uncompromising boyfriend, Guy; her warmly supportive best friend, Luce; and wounded but hopeful Alex. Her portrayal of Jess's aching grief, growing confidence, and tenderness for the lost and hurting people around her may have listeners wiping away a tear or two. VERDICT This unabashedly feel-good audio is a balm for the soul. An excellent recommendation for fans of Ruth Hogan's The Keeper of Lost Things.--Sarah Hashimoto