Meet Me at the Museum - Youngson, Anne Review & Synopsis

Synopsis Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award From 70-year-old debut author Anne Youngson, a novel about a farmer's wife and a museum curator seeking second chances, hailed by NPR as "the charmer of the summer." In Denmark, Professor Anders Larsen, an urbane man of facts, has lost his wife and his hopes for the future. On an isolated English farm, Tina Hopgood is trapped in a life she doesn't remember choosing. Both believe their love stories are over. Brought together by a shared fascination with the Tollund Man, subject of Seamus Heaney's famous poem, they begin writing letters to one another. And from their vastly different worlds, they find they have more in common than they could have imagined. As they open up to one another about their lives, an unexpected friendship blooms. But then Tina's letters stop coming, and Anders is thrown into despair. How far are they willing to go to write a new story for themselves? Review Anne Youngson is retired and lives in Oxfordshire. She has two children and three grandchildren to date. Meet Me at the Museum is her first novel and was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award. Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award An Indie Next and LibraryReads Selection "The charmer of the summer...A touching, hopeful story about figuring out what matters and mustering the courage to make necessary changes." -NPR "How subtle. How perceptive...Meet Me at the Museum is gently provoking, delving into how we interact with our children, our spouses, our communities, but mostly with ourselves." -Minneapolis Star Tribune "A farmer's wife and a museum curator begin a life-changing correspondence in this lovely book by Anne Youngson, a first-time novelist at age 70." -Woman's Day (Editor's Choice) "A beautiful, moving, and utterly mesmerizing tale about life, love, and starting over, Meet Me at the Museum will make even the most cynical listeners believe in second chances." -Bustle "Beautifully written and deeply moving, Meet Me at the Museum is a superb-and tenderhearted-debut that will interest anyone who's ever questioned how they became the person they are today." -Shelf Awareness "This sweet novel, which unfolds through a series of letters, is a short but spellbinding story of life and friendship." -Hello Giggles "A thoughtful meditation on buried passions, regrets, love, grief, and loneliness. But Youngson's debut offers hope for change in its tender exploration of what it means to have experienced a life well-lived." -The Guardian "Already being hailed as a classic...Absolutely beautiful, about loss and the life choices we make." -Daily Mail "Warm-hearted, clear-minded, and unexpectedly spellbinding, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to savor." -Annie Barrows, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society "Precise, clear, funny, poignant, and truthful. This is a work of art, dear readers. Revel in its beauty." -Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife and Lucia, Lucia "A moving tribute to friendship and love, to the courage of the ordinary, and to starting again." -Rachel Joyce, New York Times bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry "Exquisite. Its characters somehow resist following their story and reverse themselves into a new one. A beautiful, lasting read." -James Hannah, author of The A to Z of You and Me "Tender, wise, and moving, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to cherish." -John Boyne, New York Times bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas "A wise and tender novel. Proof that the richest fruits come on the edge of autumn." -Sarah Dunant, New York Times bestselling author of The Birth of Venus "Intriguing and compelling, Meet Me at the Museum invites you into the meeting place between two people, imparting wisdom, thought, and endless charm." -Jennifer Ryan, bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir "A beautiful, affecting novel of late love." -Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina "Readers are sure to love this wise and witty debut that celebrates the art of letter writing and the kindness of strangers." -Phaedra Patrick, author of The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper "Full of grace and humanity." -Sunday Times "If you only read one book this year, read this. Highly recommended." -Mature Times "Insightful, emotionally acute, and absorbing." -The Daily Express Meet Me at the Museum Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award “The charmer of the summer.” —NPR “Warm-hearted, clear-minded, and unexpectedly spellbinding, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to savor.” —Annie Barrows, co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society In Denmark, Professor Anders Larsen, an urbane man of facts, has lost his wife and his hopes for the future. On an isolated English farm, Tina Hopgood is trapped in a life she doesn’t remember choosing. Both believe their love stories are over. Brought together by a shared fascination with the Tollund Man, subject of Seamus Heaney’s famous poem, they begin writing letters to one another. And from their vastly different worlds, they find they have more in common than they could have imagined. As they open up to one another about their lives, an unexpected friendship blooms. But then Tina’s letters stop coming, and Anders is thrown into despair. How far are they willing to go to write a new story for themselves? Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award “The charmer of the summer.” —NPR “Warm-hearted, clear-minded, and unexpectedly spellbinding, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to savor.” —Annie Barrows, co-author of The Guernsey ..." A Complicated Matter A young woman's extraordinary journey of self-discovery and an intimate meditation on what it takes to find our place in the world. 'AN EXTRAORDINARY WRITER' Nina Stibbe 'FULL OF GRACE AND HUMANITY' Sunday Times I used to believed the world had been created for me; every stone and grain of sand, every sunrise and sunset. As I grew older, I began to think of myself as something tacked on to the edge. 1939, London: From McPhail's Passage by the dockyards to Kensington's Grand Palace Hotel, resilient and reserved Rose is forcibly evacuated from her home and dropped in an alien city of falling bombs, perplexing class rules and bad weather. Despite being 'flagrantly foreign' to the locals, she becomes an efficient go-between for the upper-class ladies helping out with the war effort and her own tribe of noisy displaced families. It is only when she is shifted to the countryside to become secretary to the plain-speaking and sightless Major Inchbold that Rose's dizzying journey to womanhood will become more surreal than ever, as she drinks tea at the vicarage, shields her best friend from abuse and stands up for the lower orders. But Rose's greatest dilemma is yet to come, as she must decide where her home - and her heart - really lies. In Anne Youngson's wry and sublimely understated prose, this unique and beautiful story of love, class and belonging is also a profound and intimate meditation on what it takes to find our place in the world. ******************************* Praise for ANNE YOUNGSON: 'Tender, wise and moving, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to cherish.' JOHN BOYNE 'Insightful, emotionally acute and absorbing' DAILY EXPRESS 'Beautiful and affecting' NINA STIBBE Readers love Anne Youngson's novels: 'I was utterly gripped and felt bereft when I'd finished it' ***** 'I could not put this book down. An inspired approach to writing about life and love' ***** 'One of my top ten best reads of the year'***** ' JOHN BOYNE 'Insightful, emotionally acute and absorbing' DAILY EXPRESS 'Beautiful and affecting' NINA STIBBE Readers love Anne Youngson's novels: 'I was utterly gripped and felt bereft when I'd finished it' ***** 'I could not put this ..." Three Women and a Boat Tender and humorous novel of second chances and life-changing new friendship for fans of Rachel Joyce, Clare Chambers and Barbara Pym 'Life-affirming and funny' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'Anne Youngson's witty and elegant novel is a celebration of friendship and a timely reminder that it is never too late to take on a life-changing new challenge' DAILY MAIL Meet Eve, who has departed from her thirty-year career to become a Free Spirit; Sally, who has waved goodbye to her indifferent husband and two grown-up children; and Anastasia, a defiantly independent narrowboat-dweller, suddenly vulnerable as she awaits a life-saving operation. Inexperienced and ill-equipped, Sally and Eve embark upon a journey through the canals of England, guided by the remote and unsympathetic Anastasia. As they glide gently - and not so gently - through the countryside, the eccentricities and challenges of canalboat life draw them inexorably together, and a tender and unforgettable story unfolds. Disarmingly truthful and narrated with a rare wit, THREE WOMEN AND A BOAT is a journey over the glorious waterways of England and into the unfathomable depths of the human heart by an inspirational new talent now in her seventies. ********** What customers are saying: 'Moving, tender and just a balm for the soul' ***** 'Perfect for those in need of an uplifting read' **** 'A warm and enjoyable read' ***** Disarmingly truthful and narrated with a rare wit, THREE WOMEN AND A BOAT is a journey over the glorious waterways of England and into the unfathomable depths of the human heart by an inspirational new talent now in her seventies. ..." The Narrowboat Summer “Lovely...Another heartening story about the possibility of striking out in a new direction at any age. It is also a soothing read, especially welcome in these anxious times.” —Christian Science Monitor From the author of Meet Me at the Museum, a charming novel of second chances, about three women, one dog, and the narrowboat that brings them together Eve expected Sally to come festooned with suitcases and overnight bags packed with everything she owned, but she was wrong. She arrived on foot, with a rucksack and a carrier bag. “I just walked away,” she said, climbing on to the boat. Eve knew what she meant. Meet Eve, who has left her thirty-year career to become a Free Spirit; Sally, who has waved goodbye to her indifferent husband and two grown-up children; and Anastasia, a defiantly independent narrowboat-dweller, who is suddenly landlocked and vulnerable. Before they quite know what they’ve done, Sally and Eve agree to drive Anastasia’s narrowboat on a journey through the canals of England, as she awaits a life-saving operation. As they glide gently – and not so gently – through the countryside, the eccentricities and challenges of narrowboat life draw them inexorably together, and a tender and unforgettable story unfolds. At summer’s end, all three women must decide whether to return to the lives they left behind, or forge a new path forward. Candid, hilarious, and uplifting, Anne Youngson's The Narrowboat Summer is a celebration of the power of friendship and new experiences to change one’s life, at any age. Candid, hilarious, and uplifting, Anne Youngson's The Narrowboat Summer is a celebration of the power of friendship and new experiences to change one’s life, at any age."