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There are currently 32 member reviews
for Meet Me at the Museum
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Connie L. (Bartlesville, OK)
Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson
It's fascinating to overhear strangers' conversations. And when they are thoughtful and articulate, it is especially enjoyable. That's what I found in Meet Me at the Museum.
In this epistolary novel I became a voyeur, experiencing the unfolding friendship of two people who seemed so real that I felt I was reading actual letters.
Tina Hopgood and Kristian Larsen live very different lives six hundred miles apart. They meet on paper and develop a friendship, introduced by a man who lived two thousand years ago. The Tollund Man is real, and rests
in the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark.
At first Tina and Kristian write formally. Tina begins, "I am writing to you to make sense of myself. You do not need to concern yourself with any of this. I do not expect you to reply." But the curator does reply.
Sharing thoughts with a stranger can allow you to gain enough distance to begin to see what you hadn't before. That is what happens with Tina and Kristian.
"T. Hopgood (Mrs.)" becomes "Tina Hopgood," then "Tina," and her correspondent moves from "The Curator" to "Kristian," showing the deepening intimacy between them. Both reflect upon their lives. Tina - "What is it that I have missed by having closed off so many choices so early in my life?" Her openness influences Kristian to ponder his own life; he wonders if he has "wasted my chances and should have done something different." Both begin taking small steps that shake up their usual patterns. Regret becomes reawakening.
These characters are well developed and likable. I wanted to keep listening to their lives, and enjoyed imagining what would happen to them next.
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Jane N. (Little Egg Harbor, NJ)
Meet me at the Museum
I find that when I visit any museum, I like to take my time and savor the exhibits. I found myself doing this while reading this book. As with exhibits, I went back and re read portions to get a better feel for the characters. I was glad I did. The author reveals the story and the characters with care. I found myself engrossed on the story and at varying times both hopeful and worried for the main characters. The book is well written and plotted. I am not going to give any of the ending away except to say that I found it very rewarding! A little teaser, women are stronger than men. You'll have to read it to see why! I hope that this author pens a sequel because I would love to see the story continue.
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WDH - Florida
Thoroughly Enjoyed
One of my favorite advance reading copies as a BookBrowse member. The 'Meet Me at the Museum' tag taped to the intro letter was a clever touch.
The story is solid and the characters are very well-done. It was lovely to read about adults reflecting on life choices and life paths in such an open manner. Their correspondence draws you in, making you feel connected to Kristian and Tina, as if you are peeking into their lives through their letters and watching them progress from strangers with a tentative common interest to ultimately friendship. I liked the slower pace of this novel which aligns with the slower pace of writing and posting handwritten letters instead of the more immediate forms of email or texting. The gentle reminder to take time to step out of your daily routine, look around, listen and reflect upon the world around you was refreshing. Definitely will recommend to my reading circle!
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Lil C. (Chestertown, NY)
Berry Picking
I will never pick berries the same way again. As I read Tina and Kristian's exchange letters I nodded :
In disbelief
in sadness with a tear in my eye
with a knowing smile
with hope for enlightenment
Anne Youngson, I will now turn around with my basket of berries and open my eyes and mind to the opportunities and beauty in the world. Thank you. I will meet you at the Museum.
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Dorothy G. (Naperville, IL)
Intimacy at a distance
Meet Me at the Museum was a lovely, slower paced read. The intimacy of written correspondence and the flowering of a friendship is beautifully laid out here for us to enjoy. The characters are older (easily identifiable for me) and realize the passing of time. Together they share their sorrows, joys, regrets, and deepest thoughts. The way they began their correspondence was so normal that perhaps such a friendship could bloom from many of our own dealings if we only took the time to look beyond the writings to the writer. A lovely read and a nice reminder that the paths we take through time have more "raspberries and ferns" to enjoy....no matter how old we become.
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Kristen H. (Hagerstown, MD)
Romance Long Distance
Meet me at the Museum is a wonderful literary read. The author did a wonderful job with introducing the 2 main characters. The letters between the two start out as a lady who remembers following a professor who writes a blog. She reaches out to the professor years later when she reads about an exhibit in Denmark that she is interested in going to see. As she continues to write to the current curator, a relationship develops.
This is a very good read and bookclubs would certainly have great discussions in Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson.
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Barbara K. (Brooklyn, NY)
A worthwhile read!
This beautifully written, thoughtful book introduces the reader to Tina, an English woman who lives on a farm and to Kristin, a Danish museum curator who become 'pen pals' by chance. Her first letter was sent to the former curator but read by Kristin, the present one, who answers her. From this chance encounter, a correspondence began and a close relationship ensued. In time, they help to open up avenues of discovery for each other and they begin to see their lives in a new light. Do they finally meet at the museum? You will have to read this book to find out!
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