The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle #Review

Today I am delighted to feature The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle which will be published by Hodder and Stoughton on 7th July. This is the first day of the blog tour to celebrate its publication.

 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.

But when in the process Jess stumbles across the mysterious Alex, together they become custodians of a strange archive of letters, photographs, curios and collections known as The Museum of Ordinary People.

As they begin to delve into the history of the objects in their care, Alex and Jess not only unravel heartbreaking stories that span generations and continents, but also unearth long buried secrets that lie much closer to home.

Inspired by a box of mementos found abandoned in a skip following a house clearance, The Museum of Ordinary People is a thought-provoking and poignant story of memory, grief, loss and the things we leave behind.

My Thoughts

 This novel really touched me and made me think. Anyone who has had to sort out a relative's belongings will recognise immediately the truth of the emotions which Jess feels as she sets out to empty her mother's house. The act of looking through all the belongings in her childhood home uncovers some secrets from her mother's past and has an effect oh all Jess's friendships.

    Paul is also an intriguing character who has retreated from the world in a defensive move to protect himself from people's thoughtlessness and at times, cruelty. The concept of the Museum is a touching one. It gives importance to the life experiences of so=called 'ordinary people' and shows how everyday objects can cast a light on people's deeper emotions and desires. As Jess realises, they can bear witness to someone's life. This is an uplifting and hopeful story. Although it deals with loss and grief, there is plenty of warmth and humour to be found.

In short: A delightful mix of poignancy and warmth.

About the Author

MIKE GAYLE was born and raised in,Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology, he moved to London to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a features editor and agony uncle. He has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Times, the Guardian and Cosmopolitan.

Mike became a full-time novelist in 1997 following the publication of his Sunday Times top ten bestseller My Legendary Girlfriend, which was hailed by the Independent as 'full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations', and by The Times as 'a funny, frank account of a hopeless romantic'. Since then he has written sixteen novels, including The Man I Think I Know, selected as a World Book Night title, and Half A World Away, selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages. In 2021, Mike was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Romantic Novelists' Association.

He lives in Birmingham with his wife, kids and greyhound.

You can follow Mike here: Twitter   |  Website 

Book link: Amazon UK 

Thanks to Mike Gayle, Jenny Platt of Hodder $ Stoughton  for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

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