I started 2026 by reading The Wedding People by
Lily King. It had some impressive accolades associated with it as well as
recommendations from family members. It all seemed very promising. However,
once I began reading the book, I knew it wasn’t for me. Admittedly, I didn’t
get terribly far into it. Its overall tone is rather cynical and bitter. Also,
there are too many F-bombs and indecent language for my taste. That just isn’t
good writing in my opinion.
So, I had to turn my attention to another book…
Clearing out her mother’s house after her death was an
emotional experience for Jess. That’s how The Museum of Ordinary by Mike
Gayle starts.
From her belongings, Jess keeps an old set of
encyclopedias that her mother gave her when she was 11-years-old. These books represented
a hopeful future to Jess. So, she couldn’t dream of parting with them. Yet it
is now time for her to let go of them if she’s going to move forward in life
with her boyfriend Guy, but does she actually want the future that Guy is
offering her? That’s when she hears about the Museum of Ordinary People
from her best friend as a possible permanent home for them.
The Museum of Ordinary People is a storage room
that houses a collection of items that no one wants, but shouldn’t be totally
disregarded, like Jess’ encyclopedias. As an aspiring museum curator, Jess
becomes fascinated with the museum and its history at her first visit to it.
That’s when she meets Alex, a mysterious young man with facial scars who
presently owns the museum.
Jess is so moved by the concept of the museum and saw
great potential in it that she asks Alex if she could curate its unusual assortment
of treasures to give it some legitimacy. Doing this project would give Jess a
sense of purpose – something she has been missing for a while. They eventually
agree that she would work on it for six months in her spare time. Jess is
thrilled with this arrangement, and as a reader, I am swept up in her
enthusiasm and want to see her and the museum succeed.
As a first-time curator, Jess experiences the growing
pains of starting a new and innovative museum. Also, during this time, Jess
faces personal challenges and comes to startling realizations about her own
life. It is certainly a time of self-discovery.
This is the third book by Mike Gayle that I’ve reviewed
for Maria's Book Banter. All three of these novels center around the
themes of death, dying, the grieving process and their complexities. He writes
with sensitivity and poignancy while telling meaningful stories without using
offensive verbiage. Thank you Mike Gayle!
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