The Museum of Ordinary People

The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle 336 pages

 

What do you do with your mom’s stuff after she is gone? It’s a predicament that many find themselves in these days. Or maybe I feel that way because my own mom cannot live at home anymore. But what the heck am I going to do with all that stuff! Sixty years worth of life!

 

That’s the issue Jess is facing.  Her mother dies suddenly. Jess is an only child so the entire burden passes to her.

 

From the book’s back cover:

“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  To the world, the books are outdated and ready to be recycled.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.  

I really enjoyed this book and was intrigued by it. It takes place in a London suburb, but it could have taken place anywhere. I found the story rather sad and heartbreaking, but there are shining moments. This is a tough book to review as it is hard, for me, to articulate my feelings. Still, I encourage everyone to read it and give this challenge: Think about your home. What would donate to The Museum of Ordinary People and why. The Museum of Ordinary People receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.