The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle

The Museum of Ordinary People is the 18th novel by Mike Gayle. It was published in paperback this year. Mike Gayle is an unusual author, in that he is a man who writes the sort of books usually written by women for a female audience – about love, friendship and family.

I picked up The Museum of Ordinary People nice and cheaply at Sainsbury’s. I bought it because I’d enjoyed his previous two novels, All the Lonely People and especially Half a World Away.

The Museum of Ordinary People is the story of Jess, who is grieving for her mum. As Jess clears out her mother’s house to sell, she struggles to part with the complete set of encyclopedias her mum had bought for her as a child. Her partner, Guy, certainly doesn’t want them cluttering up his pristine London flat. Then her friends tells her about ‘The Museum of Ordinary People’ and it seems the perfect solution.

But when she tracks down the unusual museum, she discovers it is set to close. All those ordinary memories of ordinary people will be lost forever and Jess doesn’t want that to happen. Drifting along in her job and her relationship, suddenly her life has a purpose, as she sets about trying to save the museum.

This is a sweet read, with a few twists and turns and a few tears along the way. I must admit, that it’s not the sort of book I often read and at first I wondered whether it was the right book for me. But, as it went on, I got more invested in the story and the characters. There were enough surprises to keep it interesting.

For me, there was nothing like the sheer heartbreak and devastation of Half a World Away. But if you enjoy books about love, family and friendship, you will enjoy The Museum of Ordinary People.