The Museum of Ordinary People

by Mike Gayle Narrated by Witney White

Overview

In this “brilliantly original” 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 (New York Times bestselling author Claire Mackintosh).**

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when she comes across something she just can't part with: an old set of encyclopedias.* To the world, the books are outdated and ready to be recycled.* To Jess, they represent love and the future that her mother always wanted her to have.*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.**
*

Editorial Reviews

MAY 2023 - AudioFile

Gayle's story alternates between "Then," when her mother's sudden death upended Jess's life, and "Now," as she tackles the emotional task of emptying her mother's home. Witney White gives Jess a British accent while voicing her grief as she struggles to find a home for possessions too precious to toss. Frustration comes through as Jess begins to re-evaluate her choices and dreams in life. White delivers tones of judgment and superiority as longtime companion Guy belittles Jess's dreams and ambition. Lifelong friend Luce bubbles with enthusiasm, telling Jess of a place where she can save some of those precious possessions. White's careful use of accents, varying tempos, and humor brings even minor characters to life in this engaging examination of grief, memory, and moving on. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

"This novel is pure, unadulterated feel-good, and Gayle is a master puller of heartstrings... fans of uplifting-lit authors like Fredrik Backman will likely be suitably charmed. Unrelentingly sweet pop fiction."—Kirkus Reviews

"Moving and heartwarming, this is a story about love and loss and holding onto the memories that make us who we are. Fans of character-driven relationship fiction by Clare Pooley, Rachel Joyce, and Freya Sampson will want to pick this one up."
 —Booklist

MAY 2023 - AudioFile

Gayle's story alternates between "Then," when her mother's sudden death upended Jess's life, and "Now," as she tackles the emotional task of emptying her mother's home. Witney White gives Jess a British accent while voicing her grief as she struggles to find a home for possessions too precious to toss. Frustration comes through as Jess begins to re-evaluate her choices and dreams in life. White delivers tones of judgment and superiority as longtime companion Guy belittles Jess's dreams and ambition. Lifelong friend Luce bubbles with enthusiasm, telling Jess of a place where she can save some of those precious possessions. White's careful use of accents, varying tempos, and humor brings even minor characters to life in this engaging examination of grief, memory, and moving on. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2023-03-11
A London woman finds secrets and more in an unusual British museum.

Jess Baxter has been having a rough year. She’s recently lost her beloved mother and has taken from her house a few bags of reminders: records, scarves, and a set of encyclopedias that her mother had given to her when she was 11 years old. There’s no room for the books at the apartment where Jess lives with her boyfriend, Guy, so she tries to donate them but finds no takers—until her friend Luce tells her about an odd place called the Museum of Ordinary People, located in the warehouse of a house clearance company. When Jess takes her encyclopedias there, she meets Alex, who has just inherited the company—he’s not sure why, as he never knew the late owner, and news of the museum, located in a locked section of the warehouse, comes as another surprise to him, with its “row upon row of rusting industrial shelving units, all of which are crammed, like some sort of crazy church jumble sale, with all manner of objects.” Alex, a web designer, is planning to sell the company, but Jess convinces him to let her redesign and redevelop the museum for at least a little while. Over the next few weeks, Jess gets to know Alex, who’s been living somewhat in isolation, self-conscious about the scars that cover half of his face, and the two spend time together working on the restoration, in the process uncovering a few secrets that hit close to home. This novel is pure, unadulterated feel-good, and Gayle is a master puller of heartstrings. It radiates an unforced kind of goodwill, which makes up for some of the overly expository dialogue and unabashed sentimentality. Cynics will find themselves rolling their eyes, but fans of uplifting-lit authors like Fredrik Backman will likely be suitably charmed.

Unrelentingly sweet pop fiction.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175805377
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	05/30/2023
Edition description:	Unabridged

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