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Where We Belong
The wonderful new novel from the acclaimed author of The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton
One summer.
One house.
One family learning to love again.
Cate Morris and her son, Leo, are homeless, adrift. They’ve packed up the boxes from their London home, said goodbye to friends and colleagues, and now they are on their way to ‘Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World – to stay just for the summer. Cate doesn’t want to be there, in Richard’s family home without Richard to guide her any more. And she knows for sure that Araminta, the retainer of the collection of dusty objects and stuffed animals, has taken against them. But they have nowhere else to go. They have to make the best of it.
But Richard hasn’t told Cate the truth about his family’s history. And something about the house starts to work its way under her skin.
Can she really walk away, once she knows the truth?
One summer.
One house.
One family learning to love again.
Cate Morris and her son, Leo, are homeless, adrift. They’ve packed up the boxes from their London home, said goodbye to friends and colleagues, and now they are on their way to ‘Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World – to stay just for the summer. Cate doesn’t want to be there, in Richard’s family home without Richard to guide her any more. And she knows for sure that Araminta, the retainer of the collection of dusty objects and stuffed animals, has taken against them. But they have nowhere else to go. They have to make the best of it.
But Richard hasn’t told Cate the truth about his family’s history. And something about the house starts to work its way under her skin.
Can she really walk away, once she knows the truth?
367 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2020
268 people are currently reading
8028 people want to read
About the author
Anstey Harris
4 books504 followersAnstey Harris is based by the seaside in south-east England where she lives with her violinmaker husband and two dogs. She teaches creative writing in the community, local schools, and occasionally as an associate lecturer for Christchurch University in Canterbury. If you'd like to have a go at some writing exercises with Anstey, head over to Instagram and look at her IGTV channel, where she also interviews authors about their journeys and tips for writing.
Anstey writes about the things that make people tick, the things that bind us and the things that can rip us apart. In 2015, she won the H G Wells Short Story Prize for her story, Ruby and The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton (a Richard and Judy pick for July 2019) won the RNA Sapere Books Pomantic Novel of the Year title in 2020.
In novels, Anstey tries to celebrate uplifting ideas and prove that life is good and that happiness is available to everyone once we work out where to look (usually inside ourselves). She enjoys writing issue-driven books where the issues take a back seat to the characters. Her short stories tend not to resolve quite so well and often feature sticky ends...
Things that interest Anstey include her children and grandchildren, green issues and conservation, adoption and adoption reunion (she is an adopted child, born in an unmarried mothers' home in Liverpool in 1965), dogs, and food. Always food. She would love to be on Masterchef but would never recover from the humiliation if she got sent home in the first round.
Anstey writes about the things that make people tick, the things that bind us and the things that can rip us apart. In 2015, she won the H G Wells Short Story Prize for her story, Ruby and The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton (a Richard and Judy pick for July 2019) won the RNA Sapere Books Pomantic Novel of the Year title in 2020.
In novels, Anstey tries to celebrate uplifting ideas and prove that life is good and that happiness is available to everyone once we work out where to look (usually inside ourselves). She enjoys writing issue-driven books where the issues take a back seat to the characters. Her short stories tend not to resolve quite so well and often feature sticky ends...
Things that interest Anstey include her children and grandchildren, green issues and conservation, adoption and adoption reunion (she is an adopted child, born in an unmarried mothers' home in Liverpool in 1965), dogs, and food. Always food. She would love to be on Masterchef but would never recover from the humiliation if she got sent home in the first round.
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June 8, 2020
EXCERPT: She grinds her shoe against the floorboards, tips the toe of it onto the rug. The black leather is dusty grey with what is left of summer. 'I wondered for years if I should have told the truth. And then, when Richard . . . you know.'
I have no idea what to say next. I am a dumb beast and my body has been replaced with the mounted frame of one of the animals. My eyes are glass and staring, my mouth is full of plaster teeth, solid pink stone tongue.
The house has claimed me as it's own.
I try to remember that this loss belongs to her too - the loss of the brother she loved and hadn't been able to see for years - but there isn't room in my hurt heart for other people's problems.
'And that's it?' I am reeling. One stupid conversation, one banal argument. One single moment that ricocheted through my family for years: that cast a shadow over my whole marriage. 'That's the whole reason he never spoke to his grandfather again? Ever? Just a family secret?'
'Family secrets can be huge, Cate.' She gestures at herself. 'They destroy those who know them and they torture those who are outside them.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Cate Morris thought she’d met her match in Simon at university—until she laid eyes on his best friend, Richard. Cate and Richard felt an immediate and undeniable spark, but Richard also felt the weight of the world more deeply than most.
Now, four years after Richard’s suicide, Cate is let go from her teaching job and can’t pay the rent on the London flat she shares with her and Richard’s son, Leo. She packs the two of them up and ventures to Richard’s grandfather’s old Victorian museum in the small town of Crouch-on-Sea, where the dusty staff quarters await her. Despite growing pains and a grouchy caretaker, Cate falls in love with the quirky taxidermy exhibits and sprawling grounds and makes it her mission to revive them. When the museum is faced with closure because of a lack of visitors, Cate stages a grand reopening, but threats from both inside and outside the museum derail her plans and send her spiraling into self-doubt.
As Cate becomes more invested in Hatters, she must finally confront the reality of Richard’s death—and the role she played in it—in order to reimagine her future.
MY THOUGHTS: What a magnificent read! Harris writes with a lyrical realism. She takes tough subjects: grief, suicide, depression and fractured families, and writes with such emotional rawness, such descriptive beauty, that the reader cannot help but be drawn in. I finished this book with tears running freely and a goofy smile on my face. But don't be thinking that this is a 'happily-ever-after' book. It's not. This is not a romance. This is a story of a deep and lifelong love, of an abiding loyalty, of grief, of desperation and determination.
Cate lost her husband to suicide. Now she has lost her job and her home. Out of options, she turns to her dead husband's family estate, using the clause in the Trust documents that allows tenure to the direct descendants of Hugo, founder of the museum and Richard's grandfather, to give her son and great-grandson to Hugo, a home. Richard always refused to take her to his childhood home, so she has no idea what to expect.
Cate is a Londoner, as is son Leo, used to places filled with chattering people, a cacophony of smells, sounds and taste, with friends who are able to step in to care for Leo if necessary. And Leo had everything he needed in London: sports teams and music lessons, art groups, dancing and, most importantly, his friends. How are they going to survive living in a outdated 'apartment' where the kitchen is three floors below their rooms, in a rambling and remote country mansion (Hatters) seriously in need of maintenance, their only company a strange and resentful old woman and a pot smoking gardener with a criminal conviction?
The only thing that makes it bearable for Cate is the thought that it's not permanent, it's only until she gets another job...
The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris is an intricate and beautiful story of three generations of a family dogged by the black dog of depression. It is sad, tragically so, but it is also one of the most beautiful pieces of writing that I have ever read.
❤❤❤❤❤
#TheMuseumofForgottenMemories #NetGalley
In some parts of the world, this book is published under the title 'Where We Belong'
'The most bitter thing about love; you can't understand it, measure it - not all its edges and intricacies - until it's gone and the clear print of its negative self is left behind.'
'We none of us get out alive and none of us get out without some pain.'
'The sun is thinking about setting, lowering itself into a comfortable position on the horizon, letting go of the heat of the day.'
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Anstey Harris is based by the seaside in south-east England where she lives with her violinmaker husband and two dogs. She teaches creative writing in the community, local schools, and as an associate lecturer for Christchurch University in Canterbury.
Anstey writes about the things that make people tick, the things that bind us and the things that can rip us apart. In 2015, she won the H G Wells Short Story Prize for her story, Ruby. In novels, Anstey tries to celebrate uplifting ideas and prove that life is good and that happiness is available to everyone once we work out where to look (usually inside ourselves). Her short stories tend not to end quite so well...
Things that interest Anstey include her children and granddaughter, green issues and conservation, adoption and adoption reunion (she is an adopted child, born in an unmarried mothers' home in Liverpool in 1965), stepfamilies, dogs, and food. Always food. She would love to be on Masterchef but would never recover from the humiliation if she got sent home in the first round.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I have no idea what to say next. I am a dumb beast and my body has been replaced with the mounted frame of one of the animals. My eyes are glass and staring, my mouth is full of plaster teeth, solid pink stone tongue.
The house has claimed me as it's own.
I try to remember that this loss belongs to her too - the loss of the brother she loved and hadn't been able to see for years - but there isn't room in my hurt heart for other people's problems.
'And that's it?' I am reeling. One stupid conversation, one banal argument. One single moment that ricocheted through my family for years: that cast a shadow over my whole marriage. 'That's the whole reason he never spoke to his grandfather again? Ever? Just a family secret?'
'Family secrets can be huge, Cate.' She gestures at herself. 'They destroy those who know them and they torture those who are outside them.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Cate Morris thought she’d met her match in Simon at university—until she laid eyes on his best friend, Richard. Cate and Richard felt an immediate and undeniable spark, but Richard also felt the weight of the world more deeply than most.
Now, four years after Richard’s suicide, Cate is let go from her teaching job and can’t pay the rent on the London flat she shares with her and Richard’s son, Leo. She packs the two of them up and ventures to Richard’s grandfather’s old Victorian museum in the small town of Crouch-on-Sea, where the dusty staff quarters await her. Despite growing pains and a grouchy caretaker, Cate falls in love with the quirky taxidermy exhibits and sprawling grounds and makes it her mission to revive them. When the museum is faced with closure because of a lack of visitors, Cate stages a grand reopening, but threats from both inside and outside the museum derail her plans and send her spiraling into self-doubt.
As Cate becomes more invested in Hatters, she must finally confront the reality of Richard’s death—and the role she played in it—in order to reimagine her future.
MY THOUGHTS: What a magnificent read! Harris writes with a lyrical realism. She takes tough subjects: grief, suicide, depression and fractured families, and writes with such emotional rawness, such descriptive beauty, that the reader cannot help but be drawn in. I finished this book with tears running freely and a goofy smile on my face. But don't be thinking that this is a 'happily-ever-after' book. It's not. This is not a romance. This is a story of a deep and lifelong love, of an abiding loyalty, of grief, of desperation and determination.
Cate lost her husband to suicide. Now she has lost her job and her home. Out of options, she turns to her dead husband's family estate, using the clause in the Trust documents that allows tenure to the direct descendants of Hugo, founder of the museum and Richard's grandfather, to give her son and great-grandson to Hugo, a home. Richard always refused to take her to his childhood home, so she has no idea what to expect.
Cate is a Londoner, as is son Leo, used to places filled with chattering people, a cacophony of smells, sounds and taste, with friends who are able to step in to care for Leo if necessary. And Leo had everything he needed in London: sports teams and music lessons, art groups, dancing and, most importantly, his friends. How are they going to survive living in a outdated 'apartment' where the kitchen is three floors below their rooms, in a rambling and remote country mansion (Hatters) seriously in need of maintenance, their only company a strange and resentful old woman and a pot smoking gardener with a criminal conviction?
The only thing that makes it bearable for Cate is the thought that it's not permanent, it's only until she gets another job...
The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris is an intricate and beautiful story of three generations of a family dogged by the black dog of depression. It is sad, tragically so, but it is also one of the most beautiful pieces of writing that I have ever read.
❤❤❤❤❤
#TheMuseumofForgottenMemories #NetGalley
In some parts of the world, this book is published under the title 'Where We Belong'
'The most bitter thing about love; you can't understand it, measure it - not all its edges and intricacies - until it's gone and the clear print of its negative self is left behind.'
'We none of us get out alive and none of us get out without some pain.'
'The sun is thinking about setting, lowering itself into a comfortable position on the horizon, letting go of the heat of the day.'
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Anstey Harris is based by the seaside in south-east England where she lives with her violinmaker husband and two dogs. She teaches creative writing in the community, local schools, and as an associate lecturer for Christchurch University in Canterbury.
Anstey writes about the things that make people tick, the things that bind us and the things that can rip us apart. In 2015, she won the H G Wells Short Story Prize for her story, Ruby. In novels, Anstey tries to celebrate uplifting ideas and prove that life is good and that happiness is available to everyone once we work out where to look (usually inside ourselves). Her short stories tend not to end quite so well...
Things that interest Anstey include her children and granddaughter, green issues and conservation, adoption and adoption reunion (she is an adopted child, born in an unmarried mothers' home in Liverpool in 1965), stepfamilies, dogs, and food. Always food. She would love to be on Masterchef but would never recover from the humiliation if she got sent home in the first round.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 8, 2020
EXCERPT: She grinds her shoe against the floorboards, tips the toe of it onto the rug. The black leather is dusty grey with what is left of summer. 'I wondered for years if I should have told the truth. And then, when Richard . . . you know.'
I have no idea what to say next. I am a dumb beast and my body has been replaced with the mounted frame of one of the animals. My eyes are glass and staring, my mouth is full of plaster teeth, solid pink stone tongue.
The house has claimed me as it's own.
I try to remember that this loss belongs to her too - the loss of the brother she loved and hadn't been able to see for years - but there isn't room in my hurt heart for other people's problems.
'And that's it?' I am reeling. One stupid conversation, one banal argument. One single moment that ricocheted through my family for years: that cast a shadow over my whole marriage. 'That's the whole reason he never spoke to his grandfather again? Ever? Just a family secret?'
'Family secrets can be huge, Cate.' She gestures at herself. 'They destroy those who know them and they torture those who are outside them.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Cate Morris thought she’d met her match in Simon at university—until she laid eyes on his best friend, Richard. Cate and Richard felt an immediate and undeniable spark, but Richard also felt the weight of the world more deeply than most.
Now, four years after Richard’s suicide, Cate is let go from her teaching job and can’t pay the rent on the London flat she shares with her and Richard’s son, Leo. She packs the two of them up and ventures to Richard’s grandfather’s old Victorian museum in the small town of Crouch-on-Sea, where the dusty staff quarters await her. Despite growing pains and a grouchy caretaker, Cate falls in love with the quirky taxidermy exhibits and sprawling grounds and makes it her mission to revive them. When the museum is faced with closure because of a lack of visitors, Cate stages a grand reopening, but threats from both inside and outside the museum derail her plans and send her spiraling into self-doubt.
As Cate becomes more invested in Hatters, she must finally confront the reality of Richard’s death—and the role she played in it—in order to reimagine her future.
MY THOUGHTS: What a magnificent read! Harris writes with a lyrical realism. She takes tough subjects: grief, suicide, depression and fractured families, and writes with such emotional rawness, such descriptive beauty, that the reader cannot help but be drawn in. I finished this book with tears running freely and a goofy smile on my face. But don't be thinking that this is a 'happily-ever-after' book. It's not. This is not a romance. This is a story of a deep and lifelong love, of an abiding loyalty, of grief, of desperation and determination.
Cate lost her husband to suicide. Now she has lost her job and her home. Out of options, she turns to her dead husband's family estate, using the clause in the Trust documents that allows tenure to the direct descendants of Hugo, founder of the museum and Richard's grandfather, to give her son and great-grandson to Hugo, a home. Richard always refused to take her to his childhood home, so she has no idea what to expect.
Cate is a Londoner, as is son Leo, used to places filled with chattering people, a cacophony of smells, sounds and taste, with friends who are able to step in to care for Leo if necessary. And Leo had everything he needed in London: sports teams and music lessons, art groups, dancing and, most importantly, his friends. How are they going to survive living in a outdated 'apartment' where the kitchen is three floors below their rooms, in a rambling and remote country mansion (Hatters) seriously in need of maintenance, their only company a strange and resentful old woman and a pot smoking gardener with a criminal conviction?
The only thing that makes it bearable for Cate is the thought that it's not permanent, it's only until she gets another job...
The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris is an intricate and beautiful story of three generations of a family dogged by the black dog of depression. It is sad, tragically so, but it is also one of the most beautiful pieces of writing that I have ever read.
❤❤❤❤❤
#TheMuseumofForgottenMemories #NetGalley
In some parts of the world, this book is published under the title 'Where We Belong'
'The most bitter thing about love; you can't understand it, measure it - not all its edges and intricacies - until it's gone and the clear print of its negative self is left behind.'
'We none of us get out alive and none of us get out without some pain.'
'The sun is thinking about setting, lowering itself into a comfortable position on the horizon, letting go of the heat of the day.'
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Anstey Harris is based by the seaside in south-east England where she lives with her violinmaker husband and two dogs. She teaches creative writing in the community, local schools, and as an associate lecturer for Christchurch University in Canterbury.
Anstey writes about the things that make people tick, the things that bind us and the things that can rip us apart. In 2015, she won the H G Wells Short Story Prize for her story, Ruby. In novels, Anstey tries to celebrate uplifting ideas and prove that life is good and that happiness is available to everyone once we work out where to look (usually inside ourselves). Her short stories tend not to end quite so well...
Things that interest Anstey include her children and granddaughter, green issues and conservation, adoption and adoption reunion (she is an adopted child, born in an unmarried mothers' home in Liverpool in 1965), stepfamilies, dogs, and food. Always food. She would love to be on Masterchef but would never recover from the humiliation if she got sent home in the first round.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
I have no idea what to say next. I am a dumb beast and my body has been replaced with the mounted frame of one of the animals. My eyes are glass and staring, my mouth is full of plaster teeth, solid pink stone tongue.
The house has claimed me as it's own.
I try to remember that this loss belongs to her too - the loss of the brother she loved and hadn't been able to see for years - but there isn't room in my hurt heart for other people's problems.
'And that's it?' I am reeling. One stupid conversation, one banal argument. One single moment that ricocheted through my family for years: that cast a shadow over my whole marriage. 'That's the whole reason he never spoke to his grandfather again? Ever? Just a family secret?'
'Family secrets can be huge, Cate.' She gestures at herself. 'They destroy those who know them and they torture those who are outside them.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Cate Morris thought she’d met her match in Simon at university—until she laid eyes on his best friend, Richard. Cate and Richard felt an immediate and undeniable spark, but Richard also felt the weight of the world more deeply than most.
Now, four years after Richard’s suicide, Cate is let go from her teaching job and can’t pay the rent on the London flat she shares with her and Richard’s son, Leo. She packs the two of them up and ventures to Richard’s grandfather’s old Victorian museum in the small town of Crouch-on-Sea, where the dusty staff quarters await her. Despite growing pains and a grouchy caretaker, Cate falls in love with the quirky taxidermy exhibits and sprawling grounds and makes it her mission to revive them. When the museum is faced with closure because of a lack of visitors, Cate stages a grand reopening, but threats from both inside and outside the museum derail her plans and send her spiraling into self-doubt.
As Cate becomes more invested in Hatters, she must finally confront the reality of Richard’s death—and the role she played in it—in order to reimagine her future.
MY THOUGHTS: What a magnificent read! Harris writes with a lyrical realism. She takes tough subjects: grief, suicide, depression and fractured families, and writes with such emotional rawness, such descriptive beauty, that the reader cannot help but be drawn in. I finished this book with tears running freely and a goofy smile on my face. But don't be thinking that this is a 'happily-ever-after' book. It's not. This is not a romance. This is a story of a deep and lifelong love, of an abiding loyalty, of grief, of desperation and determination.
Cate lost her husband to suicide. Now she has lost her job and her home. Out of options, she turns to her dead husband's family estate, using the clause in the Trust documents that allows tenure to the direct descendants of Hugo, founder of the museum and Richard's grandfather, to give her son and great-grandson to Hugo, a home. Richard always refused to take her to his childhood home, so she has no idea what to expect.
Cate is a Londoner, as is son Leo, used to places filled with chattering people, a cacophony of smells, sounds and taste, with friends who are able to step in to care for Leo if necessary. And Leo had everything he needed in London: sports teams and music lessons, art groups, dancing and, most importantly, his friends. How are they going to survive living in a outdated 'apartment' where the kitchen is three floors below their rooms, in a rambling and remote country mansion (Hatters) seriously in need of maintenance, their only company a strange and resentful old woman and a pot smoking gardener with a criminal conviction?
The only thing that makes it bearable for Cate is the thought that it's not permanent, it's only until she gets another job...
The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris is an intricate and beautiful story of three generations of a family dogged by the black dog of depression. It is sad, tragically so, but it is also one of the most beautiful pieces of writing that I have ever read.
❤❤❤❤❤
#TheMuseumofForgottenMemories #NetGalley
In some parts of the world, this book is published under the title 'Where We Belong'
'The most bitter thing about love; you can't understand it, measure it - not all its edges and intricacies - until it's gone and the clear print of its negative self is left behind.'
'We none of us get out alive and none of us get out without some pain.'
'The sun is thinking about setting, lowering itself into a comfortable position on the horizon, letting go of the heat of the day.'
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Anstey Harris is based by the seaside in south-east England where she lives with her violinmaker husband and two dogs. She teaches creative writing in the community, local schools, and as an associate lecturer for Christchurch University in Canterbury.
Anstey writes about the things that make people tick, the things that bind us and the things that can rip us apart. In 2015, she won the H G Wells Short Story Prize for her story, Ruby. In novels, Anstey tries to celebrate uplifting ideas and prove that life is good and that happiness is available to everyone once we work out where to look (usually inside ourselves). Her short stories tend not to end quite so well...
Things that interest Anstey include her children and granddaughter, green issues and conservation, adoption and adoption reunion (she is an adopted child, born in an unmarried mothers' home in Liverpool in 1965), stepfamilies, dogs, and food. Always food. She would love to be on Masterchef but would never recover from the humiliation if she got sent home in the first round.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
April 27, 2020
“I cannot count the people outside. They look for all the world like an angry mob, come from the village to storm our castle. Except that they’re all smiling: they’re chattering and laughing. And they are all carrying buckets and mops and ladders and cloths in place of swords and maces and clubs.”
The Museum of Forgotten Memories (also published as Where We Belong) is the second novel by British author, Anstey Harris. They hadn’t been made particularly welcome, nor was the accommodation quite what they expected. But the museum at Crouch-on-Sea, Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World: that was fantastic. Mounted animals from everywhere in breath-taking displays, extensive and beautiful gardens, and a stunning glass-domed library.
Not that Cate Morris and her son, Leo had had any choice in the matter: they’d hung on in London after Richard died but, with Cate made redundant from her teaching job, and nowhere else to live, they had to insist on Leo’s right, as a descendant of Colonel Hugo Lyons-Morris, to reside at the museum his parents had founded. Richard always refused to discuss the place, let alone go there, so Cate didn’t know what to expect.
“It was lonely, watching the man I loved fade and grow hazy, muted inside a facsimile of his physical self – a self that grew ever thinner and more angular.” Even four years after losing him, Cate is still often beset by anger and guilt. Leo may be a blessing, but he is often a challenge to raise; moreso, alone. She still misses Richard so much: “I live with a Richard-sized hole in my life: almost a physical thing in the room we slept in; in the places we took Leo to; in the kitchen every day when I finish work.” Emails to the only person who truly understands, their mutual best friend Simon Henderson, offer some respite.
Hatters caretaker Araminta Buchan is stiff and formal with Cate, but softer towards Leo. She’s explained the museum is under threat of closure, and it isn’t until Cate offers to help with a tour group that she unbends a little. Could they, together, actually save the place? And might Cate learn more of the family about which Richard was so unwaveringly reticent?
With a setting that sets the imagination soaring, Harris gives the reader a story populated by characters with depth and appeal; some are quirky while many are typical inhabitants of the English village. Leo is most certainly a star and Cate learns that age and experience don’t necessarily guarantee better judgement of character.
If some aspects of the plot can be predicted, there are also quite a few surprises and secrets: “Family secrets can be huge, Cate… They destroy those who know them and they torture those who are outside them.” The story is set in 2020, but it’s not the written-by-Stephen-King 2020 we currently inhabit, it’s the 2020 we might have had if COVID-19 had not reared its ugly head. Funny, moving and utterly enchanting, Harris’s second novel is even better than her first.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.
The Museum of Forgotten Memories (also published as Where We Belong) is the second novel by British author, Anstey Harris. They hadn’t been made particularly welcome, nor was the accommodation quite what they expected. But the museum at Crouch-on-Sea, Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World: that was fantastic. Mounted animals from everywhere in breath-taking displays, extensive and beautiful gardens, and a stunning glass-domed library.
Not that Cate Morris and her son, Leo had had any choice in the matter: they’d hung on in London after Richard died but, with Cate made redundant from her teaching job, and nowhere else to live, they had to insist on Leo’s right, as a descendant of Colonel Hugo Lyons-Morris, to reside at the museum his parents had founded. Richard always refused to discuss the place, let alone go there, so Cate didn’t know what to expect.
“It was lonely, watching the man I loved fade and grow hazy, muted inside a facsimile of his physical self – a self that grew ever thinner and more angular.” Even four years after losing him, Cate is still often beset by anger and guilt. Leo may be a blessing, but he is often a challenge to raise; moreso, alone. She still misses Richard so much: “I live with a Richard-sized hole in my life: almost a physical thing in the room we slept in; in the places we took Leo to; in the kitchen every day when I finish work.” Emails to the only person who truly understands, their mutual best friend Simon Henderson, offer some respite.
Hatters caretaker Araminta Buchan is stiff and formal with Cate, but softer towards Leo. She’s explained the museum is under threat of closure, and it isn’t until Cate offers to help with a tour group that she unbends a little. Could they, together, actually save the place? And might Cate learn more of the family about which Richard was so unwaveringly reticent?
With a setting that sets the imagination soaring, Harris gives the reader a story populated by characters with depth and appeal; some are quirky while many are typical inhabitants of the English village. Leo is most certainly a star and Cate learns that age and experience don’t necessarily guarantee better judgement of character.
If some aspects of the plot can be predicted, there are also quite a few surprises and secrets: “Family secrets can be huge, Cate… They destroy those who know them and they torture those who are outside them.” The story is set in 2020, but it’s not the written-by-Stephen-King 2020 we currently inhabit, it’s the 2020 we might have had if COVID-19 had not reared its ugly head. Funny, moving and utterly enchanting, Harris’s second novel is even better than her first.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.
Want to read
August 13, 2020this doesn't even sound like my kind of book, but i'll buy it just to look at the cover all day long. this is who i am.
June 19, 2020
I love a spooky mansion, crumbling manor, run down estate - or in this case museum - in dire need of a revamp, restructure or makeover. Buildings with history, character and a few good secrets suck me in every time, and together with this beautiful cover design I couldn't resist The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris.
Cate is still mourning the loss of her husband Richard four years on from his death and can no longer afford to live in London. She and her son Leo move to her husband's family home which happens to be a run down Victorian era museum in the town of Crouch-on-Sea. Hatters Museum was founded by Richard's grandfather and houses valuable taxidermy exhibits, however the museum is running at a loss and is at risk of closure.
Richard didn't talk about his family much, but Cate slowly learns about her son Leo's inheritance and the childhood Richard experienced at the property.
My favourite character of the novel by far was the museum; I could readily imagine the grounds and gardens, the exhibits, the domed library and old portraits hanging on the walls. Leo was an unexpected delight and I thoroughly enjoyed Cate's relationship with her son. The scenes with Leo were touching and insightful and well written.
In stark contrast, too much time was spent on Cate's growing relationship with Patch in my opinion, and it began to get on my nerves. I'm not embarrassed to admit the name Patch was a little irritating too.
The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris isn't a creepy, spooky novel, nor does it delve into the past in a dual narrative style I've come to associate with this kind of 'sea-change' inheritance trope. Instead, it's a feel-good contemporary story about relationships, family, depression, loss, parenthood and legacy. An enjoyable read.
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *
Cate is still mourning the loss of her husband Richard four years on from his death and can no longer afford to live in London. She and her son Leo move to her husband's family home which happens to be a run down Victorian era museum in the town of Crouch-on-Sea. Hatters Museum was founded by Richard's grandfather and houses valuable taxidermy exhibits, however the museum is running at a loss and is at risk of closure.
Richard didn't talk about his family much, but Cate slowly learns about her son Leo's inheritance and the childhood Richard experienced at the property.
My favourite character of the novel by far was the museum; I could readily imagine the grounds and gardens, the exhibits, the domed library and old portraits hanging on the walls. Leo was an unexpected delight and I thoroughly enjoyed Cate's relationship with her son. The scenes with Leo were touching and insightful and well written.
In stark contrast, too much time was spent on Cate's growing relationship with Patch in my opinion, and it began to get on my nerves. I'm not embarrassed to admit the name Patch was a little irritating too.
The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris isn't a creepy, spooky novel, nor does it delve into the past in a dual narrative style I've come to associate with this kind of 'sea-change' inheritance trope. Instead, it's a feel-good contemporary story about relationships, family, depression, loss, parenthood and legacy. An enjoyable read.
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *
October 8, 2020
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
It only feels like yesterday that I discovered the writing of Anstey Harris and her beautiful novel, The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton. Praised by author Kate Furnivall as ‘superb’, Anstey Harris returns with a moving new novel. The Museum of Forgotten Memories encompasses themes of regret, loss, redemption, acceptance and progress. Anstey Harris has managed to compose another heartbreaking yet hopeful novel.
The Museum of Forgotten Memories traces the relationship from start to finish of Cate and Richard. We witness their fateful meeting during their university days, to their grand love affair, through to the hard times they weathered together through Richard’s illness. Sadly, Richard pulled further and further away from Cate as his personal issues took a hold of his life. Since Richard passed away, Cate has struggled to uphold her life both personally and financially. With a young son to care for, Cate knows she must find alternative accommodation, following the loss of her job and her London flat. Cate flees to the home of Richard’s grandfather, which is also a Victorian era mansion. At first Cate approaches her new abode with some trepidation, especially at it houses a rather creepy taxidermy collection, but eventually the charm of the mansion wins Cate over. Feeling inspired to help resurrect the grounds and exhibits, Cate throws herself headfirst into restoring her new home to its former glory. But in completing this overhaul, Cate faces some hard truths about her relationship with Richard, the past and the future.
Firstly, I must say that the cover of The Museum of Forgotten Memories completely won me over. I love all the symbolic motifs that adorn this exquisite cover. I jumped to conclusions about this one and I assumed that Anstey Harris’ new tale was going to be a gothic fiction novel, with a past to present style story. However, after reading the synopsis and beginning chapter one, I soon realised that I was quite mistaken. The Museum of Forgotten Memories is a contemporary fiction novel that focuses on the emotional pain that we experience in life. The Museum of Forgotten Memories is about grief, loss, making amends and looking to a hopeful future. It is a tale that resonates thanks to the author’s strong insightful gaze into her key themes.
The Museum of Forgotten Memories is quite a sad tale, there are strong tones of sorrow, regret, blame, deep hurt and overwhelming loss. These feelings are incredibly cutting at many points so the novel, resulting in an emotive response on behalf of the reader. I wasn’t expecting this reaction at all and it came as quite a surprise. I think you need to be prepared for an emotional journey once you settle into this one. Anstey Harris is writer who is in tune with the feelings of her protagonists and The Museum of Forgotten Memories is a novel that leans heavily towards a character focused journey. This is a wholly reflective kind of tale, where it is more about the lead coming full circle in accepting the past in order to move on to a brighter future.
As characterisation is clearly Anstey Harris’ forte, the presence of the Victorian mansion, the lead’s new home, looms large over this story. I did love the presentation of this stately abode, which we learn has lost its sheen due to age and neglect. The rich descriptions of the sprawling grounds, the shadowy presence of the taxidermy exhibits, the library and of course the caretaker adds plenty of atmosphere to this life affirming tale. I’m sure readers will be taken in by the charm of this locale, which is expressed on the pages of this novel very well thanks to the author’s prose.
I felt that the central focus of The Museum of Forgotten Memories was principally the demise of a relationship and the personal demons we carry with us. For some we are able to tame our person demons and the inner torment that comes from a debilitating mental illness. However, there are those like Richard who are unable to overcome these feelings and sadly they submit to the inevitable. This was a deeply upsetting realisation, especially in regards to Cate and her son Leo. I think Anstey Harris has tapped into an important societal and personal issue. They are some rays of light that begin to break through this rather difficult tale of immense loss, remorse and condemnation, giving the audience a sense of hope for the lead.
The Museum of Forgotten Memories is a contemplative contemporary fiction offering that considers emotional turmoil, devastating grief, the past, anguish, heartache and future plans. The Museum of Forgotten Memories is a considerate novel from an observant writer that I have come to appreciate for the second time over.
*I wish to thank Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
It only feels like yesterday that I discovered the writing of Anstey Harris and her beautiful novel, The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton. Praised by author Kate Furnivall as ‘superb’, Anstey Harris returns with a moving new novel. The Museum of Forgotten Memories encompasses themes of regret, loss, redemption, acceptance and progress. Anstey Harris has managed to compose another heartbreaking yet hopeful novel.
The Museum of Forgotten Memories traces the relationship from start to finish of Cate and Richard. We witness their fateful meeting during their university days, to their grand love affair, through to the hard times they weathered together through Richard’s illness. Sadly, Richard pulled further and further away from Cate as his personal issues took a hold of his life. Since Richard passed away, Cate has struggled to uphold her life both personally and financially. With a young son to care for, Cate knows she must find alternative accommodation, following the loss of her job and her London flat. Cate flees to the home of Richard’s grandfather, which is also a Victorian era mansion. At first Cate approaches her new abode with some trepidation, especially at it houses a rather creepy taxidermy collection, but eventually the charm of the mansion wins Cate over. Feeling inspired to help resurrect the grounds and exhibits, Cate throws herself headfirst into restoring her new home to its former glory. But in completing this overhaul, Cate faces some hard truths about her relationship with Richard, the past and the future.
Firstly, I must say that the cover of The Museum of Forgotten Memories completely won me over. I love all the symbolic motifs that adorn this exquisite cover. I jumped to conclusions about this one and I assumed that Anstey Harris’ new tale was going to be a gothic fiction novel, with a past to present style story. However, after reading the synopsis and beginning chapter one, I soon realised that I was quite mistaken. The Museum of Forgotten Memories is a contemporary fiction novel that focuses on the emotional pain that we experience in life. The Museum of Forgotten Memories is about grief, loss, making amends and looking to a hopeful future. It is a tale that resonates thanks to the author’s strong insightful gaze into her key themes.
The Museum of Forgotten Memories is quite a sad tale, there are strong tones of sorrow, regret, blame, deep hurt and overwhelming loss. These feelings are incredibly cutting at many points so the novel, resulting in an emotive response on behalf of the reader. I wasn’t expecting this reaction at all and it came as quite a surprise. I think you need to be prepared for an emotional journey once you settle into this one. Anstey Harris is writer who is in tune with the feelings of her protagonists and The Museum of Forgotten Memories is a novel that leans heavily towards a character focused journey. This is a wholly reflective kind of tale, where it is more about the lead coming full circle in accepting the past in order to move on to a brighter future.
As characterisation is clearly Anstey Harris’ forte, the presence of the Victorian mansion, the lead’s new home, looms large over this story. I did love the presentation of this stately abode, which we learn has lost its sheen due to age and neglect. The rich descriptions of the sprawling grounds, the shadowy presence of the taxidermy exhibits, the library and of course the caretaker adds plenty of atmosphere to this life affirming tale. I’m sure readers will be taken in by the charm of this locale, which is expressed on the pages of this novel very well thanks to the author’s prose.
I felt that the central focus of The Museum of Forgotten Memories was principally the demise of a relationship and the personal demons we carry with us. For some we are able to tame our person demons and the inner torment that comes from a debilitating mental illness. However, there are those like Richard who are unable to overcome these feelings and sadly they submit to the inevitable. This was a deeply upsetting realisation, especially in regards to Cate and her son Leo. I think Anstey Harris has tapped into an important societal and personal issue. They are some rays of light that begin to break through this rather difficult tale of immense loss, remorse and condemnation, giving the audience a sense of hope for the lead.
The Museum of Forgotten Memories is a contemplative contemporary fiction offering that considers emotional turmoil, devastating grief, the past, anguish, heartache and future plans. The Museum of Forgotten Memories is a considerate novel from an observant writer that I have come to appreciate for the second time over.
*I wish to thank Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
July 20, 2020
My View:
Delightful!
I don’t know which element of this book I enjoyed the most; the characters are written with charm, eloquence and humanity, the settings are superb - I could see the crockery shining on the table, the silverware polished, gleaming, the stately home in all its run down glory, the gardens, the statues, the exhibits, the clothes Leo wears…the towns people, the village….what an incredible story teller Anstey Harris is.
Then there is the narrative- complex yet simple to digest, heart-warming yet not saccharine, love stories, enduring and new and wrong and so right - I inhaled this read in one sitting.
Brilliant.
Delightful!
I don’t know which element of this book I enjoyed the most; the characters are written with charm, eloquence and humanity, the settings are superb - I could see the crockery shining on the table, the silverware polished, gleaming, the stately home in all its run down glory, the gardens, the statues, the exhibits, the clothes Leo wears…the towns people, the village….what an incredible story teller Anstey Harris is.
Then there is the narrative- complex yet simple to digest, heart-warming yet not saccharine, love stories, enduring and new and wrong and so right - I inhaled this read in one sitting.
Brilliant.
January 29, 2021
Cate Morris and her son, Leo, are without a home and adrift. They’ve packed up the boxes from their London home, said goodbye to friends and colleagues, and now they are on their way to “Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World,” her late husband’s ancestral home—to stay just for the summer. Cate doesn’t want to be there, in Richard’s family home without Richard to guide her anymore. And she knows for sure that Araminta, the retainer of the collection of dusty objects and stuffed animals, has total disregard for them. But they have nowhere else to go. They have to make the best of it. Leo has autism, but somehow seems more in tune with the museum than Cate ever expected. But Richard hasn’t told Cate the truth about his family’s history. And something about the house starts to work its way under her skin.
January 31, 2021
Randomly selected this from my TBR list and so glad I did! Set in Europe, mainly at a the Hatters museum. One family discovers how to move on, let go of secrets. Lots of plot twists in the last third. An all around joyful read.
September 1, 2020
I was quite underwhelmed by this book. It never really grabbed me. If it wasn’t a book club book I probably would have forgotten to finish it. Some of the writing was good, like how Cate dealt with Richard’s illness. But some of the characters seemed contrived and unrealistic (Simon for one). I also didn’t find an old house full of stuffed animals enchanting or quirky. If anything I found it a bit creepy. This one just wasn’t for me.
February 3, 2021
Cate Morris has her back to the wall. She’s lost her job and her apartment; her husband, Richard, is dead and she and her son, Leo, are still grieving. With nothing left to lose, she packs their belongings and heads for Richard’s ancestral home at Hatters, a place that turns out to be full of secrets and the unexpected. In the end, the museum is renovated, as well as its occupants.
My thanks go Net Galley and Gallery Books for the review copy. This book is for sale now.
I read and enjoyed Harris’s last novel, Goodbye Paris, and when I saw that she had another book in the works, I leapt on it. Harris develops plots that are fresh and original, and so when I open the book, I expect great things. And in most ways, I find them.
The first and most obvious aspect is the museum. The family patriarch, Sir Hugo, is now deceased, but he was a benign presence in the tiny village; his museum, which is now somewhat anachronistic, showcases a collection of taxidermized African animals, among other things:
“It is a conundrum, like everything else in this peculiar house. From the glaring dead animals conserved in their alabaster homes, through the thousands of books that no one can reach to read, right into the wet green foliage of the unmanageable woods Colonel Hugo’s grandfather meticulously planted, this place contradicts itself at every turn, gives then takes away, frightens then comforts.”
Though Leo is an heir and has the right to be there, Cate and Leo are met coolly by Araminta, an older woman who has become nearly the sole caretaker of the whole enormous enterprise. There are a number of things that don’t add up, but since there’s no real choice, Cate and Leo forge on. Leo, who has Down’s Syndrome, is a hugely congenial character, and again, Harris brings in an element that few other novelists have done lately. I have never had much interest in this syndrome, and came to the novel for the author rather than this attribute, but I enjoy Leo a lot, and he has a shining moment toward the conclusion that I will remember for a long time.
Throughout the novel’s progress, Cate is still processing and grieving Richard’s loss, though it’s been years. There’s a stretch midway through that feels repetitive, with Cate grieving, remembering, stewing, and assuring the reader that she won’t tell anyone everything about Richard’s death. I become impatient with it, mentally telling her to fish or cut bait and get on with it, but soon after I hit that point, she does exactly that. There are a lot of secrets floating around this museum; there’s one involving Araminta that I am able to guess ahead of time, but there’s another big reveal toward the end that I find inappropriate and jarring, and it’s important enough to the story that I can’t overlook it. Up to the ninety percent mark, I had this book pegged as a five star read.
Despite my disappointment, I am not finished with Anstey Harris. Her work is bold and original, and I respect her willingness to take risks. However, my advice to you is to buy it cheap or get it free if you’d like to read it; save the full cover price for her next novel, or use it to buy the last one, if you haven’t yet read it.
My thanks go Net Galley and Gallery Books for the review copy. This book is for sale now.
I read and enjoyed Harris’s last novel, Goodbye Paris, and when I saw that she had another book in the works, I leapt on it. Harris develops plots that are fresh and original, and so when I open the book, I expect great things. And in most ways, I find them.
The first and most obvious aspect is the museum. The family patriarch, Sir Hugo, is now deceased, but he was a benign presence in the tiny village; his museum, which is now somewhat anachronistic, showcases a collection of taxidermized African animals, among other things:
“It is a conundrum, like everything else in this peculiar house. From the glaring dead animals conserved in their alabaster homes, through the thousands of books that no one can reach to read, right into the wet green foliage of the unmanageable woods Colonel Hugo’s grandfather meticulously planted, this place contradicts itself at every turn, gives then takes away, frightens then comforts.”
Though Leo is an heir and has the right to be there, Cate and Leo are met coolly by Araminta, an older woman who has become nearly the sole caretaker of the whole enormous enterprise. There are a number of things that don’t add up, but since there’s no real choice, Cate and Leo forge on. Leo, who has Down’s Syndrome, is a hugely congenial character, and again, Harris brings in an element that few other novelists have done lately. I have never had much interest in this syndrome, and came to the novel for the author rather than this attribute, but I enjoy Leo a lot, and he has a shining moment toward the conclusion that I will remember for a long time.
Throughout the novel’s progress, Cate is still processing and grieving Richard’s loss, though it’s been years. There’s a stretch midway through that feels repetitive, with Cate grieving, remembering, stewing, and assuring the reader that she won’t tell anyone everything about Richard’s death. I become impatient with it, mentally telling her to fish or cut bait and get on with it, but soon after I hit that point, she does exactly that. There are a lot of secrets floating around this museum; there’s one involving Araminta that I am able to guess ahead of time, but there’s another big reveal toward the end that I find inappropriate and jarring, and it’s important enough to the story that I can’t overlook it. Up to the ninety percent mark, I had this book pegged as a five star read.
Despite my disappointment, I am not finished with Anstey Harris. Her work is bold and original, and I respect her willingness to take risks. However, my advice to you is to buy it cheap or get it free if you’d like to read it; save the full cover price for her next novel, or use it to buy the last one, if you haven’t yet read it.
May 11, 2020
Where We Belong (also published as The Museum of Forgotten Memories) is the second novel by British author, Anstey Harris. The thing that kept striking me and wowing me throughout this novel was the level of description we have on every single page. Anstey Harris can make a salad sound like the only thing I would veer want to eat, can make the simple act of hearing a car on a driveway sound like the turning point of someones life and she just constantly wows me with her way with words. This was the real standout in this novel for me, I loved the imagery and I loved the pure artistry on the page.
Cate is a very intriguing character. It take a good chunk of the book before we get to know and understand her a little better than we did at the start. I didn't always find her likable and I didn't always agree with her choices for the house or her family buy boy was i intrigued by her and her life. She is definitely prickly but that is nothing compare to Hatters caretaker Araminta Buchan. Araminta is stiff and formal with Cate, but softer towards son Leo. She’s explained the museum is under threat of closure, and it isn’t until Cate offers to help with a tour group that she unbends a little. Could they, together, actually save the place?
Ah Leo, Leo is the perfect antidote to Cate and to their whole situation. I loved getting to meet him. I loved how literally he sees the world. I feel like he was the heart and soul of the book for me. Some characters definitely underestimated him but really we need more Leos in our lives. There is definitely some mystery surrounding all of the characters in this book and their lives and their secrets unfold beautiful as you continue to turn the pages.
There were definitely some dramatic moments in this book and Hatters itself is almost Gothic in its nature, I was getting some definite Jane Eyre vibes at certain points in the book. This book also explore mental health and to a certain extent disability although this latter is never discussed overtly. I loved how depression and mental health in general is a constant theme in the book and it is never spoken off as if it is an issue or a problem, just a part of every day life and something that people have in their lives.
I really enjoyed this book I didn't know how it was going to end or how Cate's story was going to pan out and whilst I would love to see the museum that this was based on I have to admit that I would be a little scared of some of the Hatters galleries if they actually exist!
Cate is a very intriguing character. It take a good chunk of the book before we get to know and understand her a little better than we did at the start. I didn't always find her likable and I didn't always agree with her choices for the house or her family buy boy was i intrigued by her and her life. She is definitely prickly but that is nothing compare to Hatters caretaker Araminta Buchan. Araminta is stiff and formal with Cate, but softer towards son Leo. She’s explained the museum is under threat of closure, and it isn’t until Cate offers to help with a tour group that she unbends a little. Could they, together, actually save the place?
Ah Leo, Leo is the perfect antidote to Cate and to their whole situation. I loved getting to meet him. I loved how literally he sees the world. I feel like he was the heart and soul of the book for me. Some characters definitely underestimated him but really we need more Leos in our lives. There is definitely some mystery surrounding all of the characters in this book and their lives and their secrets unfold beautiful as you continue to turn the pages.
There were definitely some dramatic moments in this book and Hatters itself is almost Gothic in its nature, I was getting some definite Jane Eyre vibes at certain points in the book. This book also explore mental health and to a certain extent disability although this latter is never discussed overtly. I loved how depression and mental health in general is a constant theme in the book and it is never spoken off as if it is an issue or a problem, just a part of every day life and something that people have in their lives.
I really enjoyed this book I didn't know how it was going to end or how Cate's story was going to pan out and whilst I would love to see the museum that this was based on I have to admit that I would be a little scared of some of the Hatters galleries if they actually exist!
June 3, 2020
Last year, I started my reading year off with The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton, a novel that left a definite imprint upon me. I was so pleased to see a new release by Anstey Harris, particularly in the form of an early review copy delivered straight to my door. The Museum of Forgotten Memories has more than lived up to its predecessor, tapping into the same heartfelt and deeply meaningful prose that I now recognise as Anstey’s signature style, but delivered in an entirely different context and setting.
Funnily enough, and also by coincidence, this is the second novel I have read this year that features a museum of natural history dating back to the Victorian era. This one offers readers a more sympathetic gaze, one that considers the worth of the legacy preserved and the importance of its conservation. I’m not a fan of taxidermy, and nor is Cate when she first arrives at the museum. I liked the way that Anstey wins Cate over, and with her insightful approach, she wins me over as well. It’s always tricky to navigate an historical topic when we are gazing at it through a contemporary lens. Since reading this novel, I’ve gained greater insight into the need for preserving these Victorian relics; the alternative just makes it all seem like so much more of a waste of those precious lives otherwise.
‘Richard’s grandfather was a Victorian conservationist, and that meant that he shot, stuffed, and brought to England thousands of animals from all over the world. He believed he was preserving them for posterity and education.’
~~~
‘The gallery is huge, a lantern of glass in the ceiling lets in enough light to cast eerie shadows around the room.
Every animal is posed, mostly with another of its species, as if it is mid-breath, so lifelike it feels that they are about to place one hoof or claw or foot in front of the other and walk right towards us. Their glass eyes twinkle with the reflected sunlight and I prepare for the inevitability of seeing one blink.’
~~~
‘The noises of cars crunching up the drive, children calling to one another across the gardens, the murmur of visitors contemplating, marvelling, it’s all very life-affirming. The museum is waking up.’
This story is very much a sea change one. Circumstances beyond Cate’s control have forced her onto a new path, along with her son. She has dealt with so much over the years and been forced into a position of always having to be the one to set things right, to keep things ticking over, to deal with stuff. I felt so much for Cate, who really did a bang up job of holding the world up for everyone else whilst still managing to keep herself afloat. Her pain at losing her husband, still raw, was moving, and her skill at being Leo’s mother was extraordinary. I absolutely loved Cate’s journey throughout this novel, and Leo’s too, as they each moved on from their lives they were forced to leave behind in London, fully embracing what seemed in the end to be their true destinies.
‘Not for the first time, I am thankful that I have never felt the weight of the world as heavily as Richard did. Not for the first time, a diamond dust of resentment grinds in my silent inner self; in the part that always copes, in the part that bears the whole weight of the boy who was once Richard’s world.’
~~~
‘You can’t open the windows and blow that kind of illness out, empty your world of germs and right it instantly. There is no amount of hot yellow lemon drinks or vibrant orange juice, no bright luminescent colours you can swallow, that can relight the person you have lost to depression. But, if you are lucky, they will occasionally swim to the surface, gasp at the air there like a dying man, and maybe float awhile.’
I adore the way in which Anstey writes. It’s spare and to the point, filled with heart and cuts right to the bone sometimes. When you read a novel by her, you are walking alongside her characters from beginning to end, bearing witness to their pain, their happiness, their life. Her writing is stunning and just as I was bowled over by The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton, I have also been wowed by The Museum of Forgotten Memories. This is a beautifully moving and delightfully inspiring story. A brilliant read for these unsettling times we have all currently found ourselves in.
Thanks is extended to Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a review copy of The Museum of Forgotten Memories.
Funnily enough, and also by coincidence, this is the second novel I have read this year that features a museum of natural history dating back to the Victorian era. This one offers readers a more sympathetic gaze, one that considers the worth of the legacy preserved and the importance of its conservation. I’m not a fan of taxidermy, and nor is Cate when she first arrives at the museum. I liked the way that Anstey wins Cate over, and with her insightful approach, she wins me over as well. It’s always tricky to navigate an historical topic when we are gazing at it through a contemporary lens. Since reading this novel, I’ve gained greater insight into the need for preserving these Victorian relics; the alternative just makes it all seem like so much more of a waste of those precious lives otherwise.
‘Richard’s grandfather was a Victorian conservationist, and that meant that he shot, stuffed, and brought to England thousands of animals from all over the world. He believed he was preserving them for posterity and education.’
~~~
‘The gallery is huge, a lantern of glass in the ceiling lets in enough light to cast eerie shadows around the room.
Every animal is posed, mostly with another of its species, as if it is mid-breath, so lifelike it feels that they are about to place one hoof or claw or foot in front of the other and walk right towards us. Their glass eyes twinkle with the reflected sunlight and I prepare for the inevitability of seeing one blink.’
~~~
‘The noises of cars crunching up the drive, children calling to one another across the gardens, the murmur of visitors contemplating, marvelling, it’s all very life-affirming. The museum is waking up.’
This story is very much a sea change one. Circumstances beyond Cate’s control have forced her onto a new path, along with her son. She has dealt with so much over the years and been forced into a position of always having to be the one to set things right, to keep things ticking over, to deal with stuff. I felt so much for Cate, who really did a bang up job of holding the world up for everyone else whilst still managing to keep herself afloat. Her pain at losing her husband, still raw, was moving, and her skill at being Leo’s mother was extraordinary. I absolutely loved Cate’s journey throughout this novel, and Leo’s too, as they each moved on from their lives they were forced to leave behind in London, fully embracing what seemed in the end to be their true destinies.
‘Not for the first time, I am thankful that I have never felt the weight of the world as heavily as Richard did. Not for the first time, a diamond dust of resentment grinds in my silent inner self; in the part that always copes, in the part that bears the whole weight of the boy who was once Richard’s world.’
~~~
‘You can’t open the windows and blow that kind of illness out, empty your world of germs and right it instantly. There is no amount of hot yellow lemon drinks or vibrant orange juice, no bright luminescent colours you can swallow, that can relight the person you have lost to depression. But, if you are lucky, they will occasionally swim to the surface, gasp at the air there like a dying man, and maybe float awhile.’
I adore the way in which Anstey writes. It’s spare and to the point, filled with heart and cuts right to the bone sometimes. When you read a novel by her, you are walking alongside her characters from beginning to end, bearing witness to their pain, their happiness, their life. Her writing is stunning and just as I was bowled over by The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton, I have also been wowed by The Museum of Forgotten Memories. This is a beautifully moving and delightfully inspiring story. A brilliant read for these unsettling times we have all currently found ourselves in.
Thanks is extended to Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a review copy of The Museum of Forgotten Memories.
May 20, 2020
Anstey Harris’s debut novel The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton was so well received last year so the pressure is on for her next novel Where We Belong.
Cate having lost her husband her home and her job is in desperate need to provide some security and a roof over son Leo’s head and her only option is to move into her late husbands childhood home combined into their eccentric Hatters museum, but their arrival isn’t one initially welcomed with open arms. With the museum failing how long can Leo and Cate rely on this being their home and will they love it enough to be able to make a difference.
This novel was so beautifully written and the descriptive writing made everything come to life and so easy to visualise. Although I live in Kent I had never actually heard of the Powell-Cotton Museum that this novel is loosely based on but having read this novel I feel like Anstey Harris has given me a tour through her words.
Anstey Harris has once again taken a delicate subject and weaved this with care into the storyline and she does this so gracefully. I did find this a little hard to read as it is a subject extremely close to me but I found that it allowed me to understand how Cate was feeling resulting in me relating and connecting with Cate and just wanting to reach out and hug her and tell her how strong she is and how well she is doing. Cate copes incredibly well considering what she has been through and more challenges are thrown at her but she lives for her son and will keep pushing through and find her way.
One thing this author has managed to do in both her debut and this novel is to make such an impression with a secondary character. I remember reading her debut and adoring Mr Williams ( I am still missing him greatly!) and in Where We Belong Leo is such a loveable character who made such a strong impression on me, his character traits shone through and his love, care and determination is so touching.
This is a descriptive delicate storyline that holds heartache, secrets and determination at the centre. I would actually say Where We Belong has a slight edge over her debut for me and I am certainly excited to seeing what Anstey Harris has up her sleeve for us next.
Cate having lost her husband her home and her job is in desperate need to provide some security and a roof over son Leo’s head and her only option is to move into her late husbands childhood home combined into their eccentric Hatters museum, but their arrival isn’t one initially welcomed with open arms. With the museum failing how long can Leo and Cate rely on this being their home and will they love it enough to be able to make a difference.
This novel was so beautifully written and the descriptive writing made everything come to life and so easy to visualise. Although I live in Kent I had never actually heard of the Powell-Cotton Museum that this novel is loosely based on but having read this novel I feel like Anstey Harris has given me a tour through her words.
Anstey Harris has once again taken a delicate subject and weaved this with care into the storyline and she does this so gracefully. I did find this a little hard to read as it is a subject extremely close to me but I found that it allowed me to understand how Cate was feeling resulting in me relating and connecting with Cate and just wanting to reach out and hug her and tell her how strong she is and how well she is doing. Cate copes incredibly well considering what she has been through and more challenges are thrown at her but she lives for her son and will keep pushing through and find her way.
One thing this author has managed to do in both her debut and this novel is to make such an impression with a secondary character. I remember reading her debut and adoring Mr Williams ( I am still missing him greatly!) and in Where We Belong Leo is such a loveable character who made such a strong impression on me, his character traits shone through and his love, care and determination is so touching.
This is a descriptive delicate storyline that holds heartache, secrets and determination at the centre. I would actually say Where We Belong has a slight edge over her debut for me and I am certainly excited to seeing what Anstey Harris has up her sleeve for us next.
December 6, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
The Museum of Forgotten Memories.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Four years after her husband's suicide, Cate Morris has been laid off from her teaching job.
She is homeless, penniless and has a mentally disabled son, Leo, to care for.
As a result, Cate returns to her husband's ancestral home, a place he didn't discuss when he was alive.
Gradually, Cate discovers the museum is nothing like she had imagined, and though it holds secrets from the past, it may be the home she and Leo have been searching for their whole lives.
I was expecting the narrative to be more of surreal, perhaps even magical, but it was none of that. It was about family, loss, mental illness, and moving forward.
It was also way longer than it had to be, especially toward the end, with sudden revelations like Cate's paramour is a thief and the museum's caretaker absconds abruptly.
The topic of suicide and chronic depression is handled delicately, demonstrating that the afflicted is not the only one who suffers. The family and social circle does as well.
I liked Leo, and gradually Mina as well.
Strangely, I didn't dislike Cate, but never warmed up to her. I found her a bit aloof, kind of cold and resentful of her husband's illness and how she felt abandoned because of it.
The ending is predictable, happy ever after, and the museum is saved, despite the haunting presence of Richard's mental illness that permeates the book.
The writing was good, but the pace was slow and the narrative dragged, taking too long to get to Mina's revelations.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Four years after her husband's suicide, Cate Morris has been laid off from her teaching job.
She is homeless, penniless and has a mentally disabled son, Leo, to care for.
As a result, Cate returns to her husband's ancestral home, a place he didn't discuss when he was alive.
Gradually, Cate discovers the museum is nothing like she had imagined, and though it holds secrets from the past, it may be the home she and Leo have been searching for their whole lives.
I was expecting the narrative to be more of surreal, perhaps even magical, but it was none of that. It was about family, loss, mental illness, and moving forward.
It was also way longer than it had to be, especially toward the end, with sudden revelations like Cate's paramour is a thief and the museum's caretaker absconds abruptly.
The topic of suicide and chronic depression is handled delicately, demonstrating that the afflicted is not the only one who suffers. The family and social circle does as well.
I liked Leo, and gradually Mina as well.
Strangely, I didn't dislike Cate, but never warmed up to her. I found her a bit aloof, kind of cold and resentful of her husband's illness and how she felt abandoned because of it.
The ending is predictable, happy ever after, and the museum is saved, despite the haunting presence of Richard's mental illness that permeates the book.
The writing was good, but the pace was slow and the narrative dragged, taking too long to get to Mina's revelations.
June 12, 2020
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
Where We Belong is a beautifully written, thoughtful book about a woman and her son trying to create a new life after some truly harrowing experiences. Cate’s husband, Richard, killed himself four years ago and since then her and her son Leo have lost their house and had to deal with conflicting emotions and overwhelming sadness too.
I really feel for Cate and everything she’d been through. I really liked her as a character, though she isn’t perfect – she herself admits she was a bit judgemental and snobby at points in the book. The situation with Richard, her late husband, and his friend Simon is also a very interesting one, and illustrates how love is often not as simple as we think!
The plot of Where We Belong takes us on a journey with Cate and Leo as they take up residence at the museum which belonged to Richard’s ancestors (and which sounds like an amazing place – Anstey discusses it in an author note in the book). It features romantic relationships but I’d say it is absolutely not a ‘book about romance’; its themes centre more on grief, family secrets, loneliness and new starts, and though some parts are a little darker, I really enjoyed reading it all.
I found this book uplifting and elegantly written, but it was also emotional at times, and pleasingly free of overdramatics or cheesiness! Definitely recommended.
** Many thanks to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review. **
Where We Belong is a beautifully written, thoughtful book about a woman and her son trying to create a new life after some truly harrowing experiences. Cate’s husband, Richard, killed himself four years ago and since then her and her son Leo have lost their house and had to deal with conflicting emotions and overwhelming sadness too.
I really feel for Cate and everything she’d been through. I really liked her as a character, though she isn’t perfect – she herself admits she was a bit judgemental and snobby at points in the book. The situation with Richard, her late husband, and his friend Simon is also a very interesting one, and illustrates how love is often not as simple as we think!
The plot of Where We Belong takes us on a journey with Cate and Leo as they take up residence at the museum which belonged to Richard’s ancestors (and which sounds like an amazing place – Anstey discusses it in an author note in the book). It features romantic relationships but I’d say it is absolutely not a ‘book about romance’; its themes centre more on grief, family secrets, loneliness and new starts, and though some parts are a little darker, I really enjoyed reading it all.
I found this book uplifting and elegantly written, but it was also emotional at times, and pleasingly free of overdramatics or cheesiness! Definitely recommended.
** Many thanks to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review. **
May 31, 2020
I really loved Anstey Harris's The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton, released in early 2019. It is an understated book. If I wanted to sound wanky I'd say it's about the human condition. Or perhaps it's about all of those things that happen in our lives that make us the people we are. That make us 'why' we are.
The Museum of Forgotten Memories offers something quite different. Again though there's some quirk, past secrets and a focus on relationships.
Harris keeps some information back from readers here. I could tell she was being cagey in the beginning and I thought I knew what it was. It seemed I was wr-wr-wrong and it reminded me a little of Karen Joy Fowler's We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
The Museum of Forgotten Memories offers something quite different. Again though there's some quirk, past secrets and a focus on relationships.
Harris keeps some information back from readers here. I could tell she was being cagey in the beginning and I thought I knew what it was. It seemed I was wr-wr-wrong and it reminded me a little of Karen Joy Fowler's We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
April 20, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Told in the first person by Cate who is forced to return to her late husbands family home, which is also a museum. This is a book about the burden family secrets and the destructive power they can have. About the reality of living with somebody with a depression so profound it leads to suicide and moving on from that. I did shed a tear at the end.
April 23, 2024
This was beautiful
March 25, 2023
Leo was a great thoughtful character. Araminta was very alone until she met Leo and his mum Cate . I do hope they have a lovely life with Simon .
July 29, 2023
What a charming little book. It's very English countryside filled with likable characters and a bit of mystery and family secrets. I appreciated the author's note at the start that explained the real life museum that prompted her to write this.
Lovely.
Lovely.
April 13, 2023
Rated 3.5
May 23, 2020
https://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/liter...
The summer sped by at Hatters with Cate and Leo as they try to adjust to their temporary home (when they first toured the museum it reminded me of Night at the Museum!).
I’ve identified with every character – yes, even Patch! Cate is fabulous. I thought she had a lot of strength and took everything in her stride. She’s not afraid to admit when she’s wrong. I loved the relationship she has with Leo. It must be difficult to know when to pull back and not to worry but Leo has it sussed better than she does and I thought Patch played an important part in helping her to see this. I loved seeing her open up after being shut down from the guilt she’s carrying. The community coming together and wrapping themselves around Hatters is brilliant! Everything feels very isolated until help is needed … The scene in the church was really poignant and one of those pivotal moments for letting go.
I’ve felt a mixture of emotions as the characters faced crises and events. Moments of joy, fear, love and disappointment too. I thought there was a great balance between the dark and the light. Anstey Harris writes sensitively about the impact of mental health whilst not holding back on the reality.
I do enjoy figurative language in a story and Anstey Harris does this well. Here are a couple of my favourites:
“The sun is thinking about setting, lowering itself into a comfortable position on the horizon, letting go of the heat of the day.”
“The curtain waves once, gently, at us and breaths of summer fill the room.”
Very evocative!
Where We Belong was a page turning read for me. It’s a story of finding a new path once the old one has gone. It’s about dealing with the aftermath of loss and holding onto guilt – and how it’s possible to let the light in. It shows us it’s ok to make mistakes as we try to find our way through the emotional maze.
An uplifting story that shows us we all have a place to belong, even if it takes a while to find it.
Highly recommended.
The summer sped by at Hatters with Cate and Leo as they try to adjust to their temporary home (when they first toured the museum it reminded me of Night at the Museum!).
I’ve identified with every character – yes, even Patch! Cate is fabulous. I thought she had a lot of strength and took everything in her stride. She’s not afraid to admit when she’s wrong. I loved the relationship she has with Leo. It must be difficult to know when to pull back and not to worry but Leo has it sussed better than she does and I thought Patch played an important part in helping her to see this. I loved seeing her open up after being shut down from the guilt she’s carrying. The community coming together and wrapping themselves around Hatters is brilliant! Everything feels very isolated until help is needed … The scene in the church was really poignant and one of those pivotal moments for letting go.
I’ve felt a mixture of emotions as the characters faced crises and events. Moments of joy, fear, love and disappointment too. I thought there was a great balance between the dark and the light. Anstey Harris writes sensitively about the impact of mental health whilst not holding back on the reality.
I do enjoy figurative language in a story and Anstey Harris does this well. Here are a couple of my favourites:
“The sun is thinking about setting, lowering itself into a comfortable position on the horizon, letting go of the heat of the day.”
“The curtain waves once, gently, at us and breaths of summer fill the room.”
Very evocative!
Where We Belong was a page turning read for me. It’s a story of finding a new path once the old one has gone. It’s about dealing with the aftermath of loss and holding onto guilt – and how it’s possible to let the light in. It shows us it’s ok to make mistakes as we try to find our way through the emotional maze.
An uplifting story that shows us we all have a place to belong, even if it takes a while to find it.
Highly recommended.
November 17, 2020
It was the cover of The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris that first caught my eye. It was unique and I wondered 'What are all those animals doing around the kitchen table?' Well, the story inside is just as unique - and it's one I absolutely adored.
Cate Harris has lost her husband Richard, her job and her home. With little left in savings, she and her teenage son Leo pack up and move to Richard's family home - a Victorian museum called the Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World in the small town of Crouch-on-Sea. And inside? Taxidermied exhibits that are quite frankly amazing. It gives them a place to live for the summer while Cate ponders what to do next. Not as thrilled with their arrival is Araminta, the caretaker.
I loved the premise and couldn't wait to discover more about the museum, the residents and what might be in the future for Cate. Cate is the voice of the book and we see and discover everything through her eyes and thoughts. Araminta is flinty with lots of sharp edges, she finds the intrusion into her domain barely tolerable and does not hesitate to let it be known. Leo is wonderful - his view of the world tempers the tension between the other two. There are a number of supporting cast members that are just as well drawn, with each bringing their own story to weave into the plot.
And that plot is fresh, unique and unpredictable. You'll find your loyalties challenged and your preconceptions to be erroneous as the book progresses and more of the past (memories) are brought to light. There's a bit of an underdog feel to the tale - and I am always on the side of the underdogs.
Harris explores love, loss, grief, hope, friendship, duty and abilities in this latest. All of them done well.
I chose to listen to The Museum of Forgotten Memories. The narrator was Tania Rodrigues and her performance was excellent. Her voice is clear and easy to understand. Her tone is rich. The speed of speaking is just right. Harris's dialogue is great and Rodrigues does a fantastic job with bringing it to life. Cate's voice is calm, measured and thoughtful - for the most part. The voice for Leo is perfect for this character. Araminta's is short and clipped and suited the character as well. It was easy to tell who was speaking. Rodriques interprets Harris's book well. The tone of situations and the emotions of the characters is presented very, very well. I've often said it but I'll say it again - I feel more immersed in a book when I listen to it. The characters seem to come alive and the listener is part of things.
Cate Harris has lost her husband Richard, her job and her home. With little left in savings, she and her teenage son Leo pack up and move to Richard's family home - a Victorian museum called the Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World in the small town of Crouch-on-Sea. And inside? Taxidermied exhibits that are quite frankly amazing. It gives them a place to live for the summer while Cate ponders what to do next. Not as thrilled with their arrival is Araminta, the caretaker.
I loved the premise and couldn't wait to discover more about the museum, the residents and what might be in the future for Cate. Cate is the voice of the book and we see and discover everything through her eyes and thoughts. Araminta is flinty with lots of sharp edges, she finds the intrusion into her domain barely tolerable and does not hesitate to let it be known. Leo is wonderful - his view of the world tempers the tension between the other two. There are a number of supporting cast members that are just as well drawn, with each bringing their own story to weave into the plot.
And that plot is fresh, unique and unpredictable. You'll find your loyalties challenged and your preconceptions to be erroneous as the book progresses and more of the past (memories) are brought to light. There's a bit of an underdog feel to the tale - and I am always on the side of the underdogs.
Harris explores love, loss, grief, hope, friendship, duty and abilities in this latest. All of them done well.
I chose to listen to The Museum of Forgotten Memories. The narrator was Tania Rodrigues and her performance was excellent. Her voice is clear and easy to understand. Her tone is rich. The speed of speaking is just right. Harris's dialogue is great and Rodrigues does a fantastic job with bringing it to life. Cate's voice is calm, measured and thoughtful - for the most part. The voice for Leo is perfect for this character. Araminta's is short and clipped and suited the character as well. It was easy to tell who was speaking. Rodriques interprets Harris's book well. The tone of situations and the emotions of the characters is presented very, very well. I've often said it but I'll say it again - I feel more immersed in a book when I listen to it. The characters seem to come alive and the listener is part of things.
December 20, 2020
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for a free e-arc of this title for review.
The synopsis of this The Museum of Forgotten Memories made me doubt whether this one would be for me, but after loving Goodbye Paris, I couldn't not read it. Unfortunately, I think my first impression was correct.
The book follows Cate, who's laid off from her teaching job and cannot make rent on her London flat. So, she and her young adult son move to a small town to live on the grounds of her late husband's family's rundown museum.
I think my favorite part of the book was a moment in which the town came together, and I also really liked when Cate's son Leo (who has Down syndrome) had moments to shine. But it felt like the focus was more on Cate's grief and love life than efforts to revitalize the museum or get to know the townspeople. That made narrative sense - you get the vibe she sees the museum as just a stopping off point, not their future - but just wasn't my personal preference.
And that, I think, about sums up my reading experience - a fine book, just not my personal preference (either in general or in this specific moment). I'd recommend it for anyone looking for lots of introspection - again, I think the focus is more so on Cate and her feelings than the museum or town around her.
Content warning: Cate's husband died by suicide, so please be advised there are recollections around that, as well as a scene in which he self-harmed.
The synopsis of this The Museum of Forgotten Memories made me doubt whether this one would be for me, but after loving Goodbye Paris, I couldn't not read it. Unfortunately, I think my first impression was correct.
The book follows Cate, who's laid off from her teaching job and cannot make rent on her London flat. So, she and her young adult son move to a small town to live on the grounds of her late husband's family's rundown museum.
I think my favorite part of the book was a moment in which the town came together, and I also really liked when Cate's son Leo (who has Down syndrome) had moments to shine. But it felt like the focus was more on Cate's grief and love life than efforts to revitalize the museum or get to know the townspeople. That made narrative sense - you get the vibe she sees the museum as just a stopping off point, not their future - but just wasn't my personal preference.
And that, I think, about sums up my reading experience - a fine book, just not my personal preference (either in general or in this specific moment). I'd recommend it for anyone looking for lots of introspection - again, I think the focus is more so on Cate and her feelings than the museum or town around her.
Content warning: Cate's husband died by suicide, so please be advised there are recollections around that, as well as a scene in which he self-harmed.
February 11, 2021
*I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway*
There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed reading - and others that I found really predictable. I loved the author's style around the revels of a few major plot points. For one example, when revealing what happened to Richard, the first few chapters refer to him as having "left" the family, so I was genuinely surprised to find out he'd died. There were a few moments like that throughout and I thought each was set up very well. The chapter with the fire was also beautifully written. However, there were other parts of this book I found to be incredibly frustrating - mostly around character relationships. Specifically, Cate's relationship with Patch. Some of the relationships between the characters felt forced and rushed; others had conflicts resolved much too easily. Finally, I know you should never judge a book by its cover (and I didn't!), but I do wish it was different. I don't feel that the cover of book adequately represented the story at all. Yes, it shows some of the "inhabitants" of Hatters, but the author continuously describes the magic of it - the statues on the pond, the gardens, the library and overall diorama. I wish the cover reflected some of that.
*I read this as part of the 2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge - "A Book that has Fewer than 1,000 Reviews on Amazon or Goodreads"
There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed reading - and others that I found really predictable. I loved the author's style around the revels of a few major plot points. For one example, when revealing what happened to Richard, the first few chapters refer to him as having "left" the family, so I was genuinely surprised to find out he'd died. There were a few moments like that throughout and I thought each was set up very well. The chapter with the fire was also beautifully written. However, there were other parts of this book I found to be incredibly frustrating - mostly around character relationships. Specifically, Cate's relationship with Patch. Some of the relationships between the characters felt forced and rushed; others had conflicts resolved much too easily. Finally, I know you should never judge a book by its cover (and I didn't!), but I do wish it was different. I don't feel that the cover of book adequately represented the story at all. Yes, it shows some of the "inhabitants" of Hatters, but the author continuously describes the magic of it - the statues on the pond, the gardens, the library and overall diorama. I wish the cover reflected some of that.
*I read this as part of the 2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge - "A Book that has Fewer than 1,000 Reviews on Amazon or Goodreads"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2024
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for a digital advanced review copy via NetGalley - my views are my own.
This is the first novel I have read by Anstey Harris (I do have a copy of The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton on my bedside cabinet waiting to be read). I have seen great reviews for both, so was thrilled to be given the chance to read and review this.
The book is very different to anything I've read before. The story looks at loss, grieving, secrets, a teenager growing up, dealing with prejudice, and a museum full of treasures from the past.
The storytelling is wonderful, full of little details and flawed (but mostly) loveable characters. At this current time with the world hit by a global pandemic, it is a story to escape into and to feel uplifted by the community spirit.
This is the first novel I have read by Anstey Harris (I do have a copy of The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton on my bedside cabinet waiting to be read). I have seen great reviews for both, so was thrilled to be given the chance to read and review this.
The book is very different to anything I've read before. The story looks at loss, grieving, secrets, a teenager growing up, dealing with prejudice, and a museum full of treasures from the past.
The storytelling is wonderful, full of little details and flawed (but mostly) loveable characters. At this current time with the world hit by a global pandemic, it is a story to escape into and to feel uplifted by the community spirit.
February 22, 2021
Not my normal read, but an interesting one nonetheless. Got it for Christmas, likely because my mom saw "museum" and thought it would relate to me. To be honest, I thought the museum would play a larger part, not so much just as the setting, in this rather dramatic story of love and navigating change/family. But instead it was more a major background character, the plot device that allows those explorations of family and gives the characters a reason to interact and be together. The parts about the museum and the descriptions of working in the museum or the challenges of a struggling museum were decently accurate. I will say, though, the amount of work they get done and the success they have bringing people in even in a well-connected and supportive small town is pretty remarkable. I never had that much success!
December 28, 2022
Maybe I read this too quickly. I was sure the son in the book was a toddler, then 19 then 22. Likewise another character seemed to change from 19 to a year too young to drink.A new relationship forms in the blink of an eyelid and a very obvious secret is undiscovered for years. Tosh.
The central character is penniless, or sitting on a large redundancy pay out depending on what we are expected to believe at any given point in the story. She’s quick to judge, has a sense of entitlement and thinks the world owes her. I don’t like how she interacts with anyone in the story and the board of trustees are simply unbelievable. Fortunately, every man she takes a fancy to falls in love with her so she can’t be that bad. Utter tosh!
The central character is penniless, or sitting on a large redundancy pay out depending on what we are expected to believe at any given point in the story. She’s quick to judge, has a sense of entitlement and thinks the world owes her. I don’t like how she interacts with anyone in the story and the board of trustees are simply unbelievable. Fortunately, every man she takes a fancy to falls in love with her so she can’t be that bad. Utter tosh!
May 2, 2020
This had such a unique premise, I am fumbling over what to say. However, I can certainly say that I enjoyed this book tremendously. I felt like I was perusing a quirky, strange museum. The attention to detail Ms. Harris pays is a delight. While I enjoyed the lighter parts of this novel, it was ultimately a book about grief, something we all can relate to at the moment. The protagonist, Cate, has tried to outrun her grief for much too long and finally comes face to face with it.
I felt that Cate was a very realistic and relatable character. I very much enjoyed getting to know her.
I would definitely recommend this book. It's a great book to read right now for the times we are in.
I felt that Cate was a very realistic and relatable character. I very much enjoyed getting to know her.
I would definitely recommend this book. It's a great book to read right now for the times we are in.
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