The Museum of Forgotten Memories (also published as Where We Belong) is a book I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did.

The Museum Of Forgotten Memories

At Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World, where the animals never age but time takes its toll, one woman must find the courage to overcome the greatest loss of her life.

Cate Morris never expected to meet the love of her life, Richard, while on a date with his best friend. Despite an awkward start, the pair had a blissful marriage—until Richard began to fade away before Cate’s eyes. Boisterous and bright, he felt the weight of the world more deeply than most, his thoughts clouded by depression.

Four years after Richard’s suicide, Cate is emotionally raw—from the guilt, the anger, the sadness, but mostly, the loneliness. Laid off from her job, Cate and Leo, her energetic 19-year-old son with Down syndrome, seek temporary refuge in Richard’s birthright, a magnificent Victorian museum, where long-kept secrets await.

Notwithstanding an unpleasant start with Araminta Buchan, the old family retainer, Cate is soon charmed by the peculiar menagerie and senses Richard’s presence everywhere. Cate and Araminta have long been weighted down by a responsibility of care—one to a fading husband, the other to a Downton-esque dwelling—both bound to duty by love. Resolving to save the forgotten museum, the pair face unexpected threats, forcing Cate to confront the reality of Richard’s death in order to reimagine her future.

Perfect for fans of Katherine Center and Evvie Drake Starts Over, The Museum of Forgotten Memories grapples with life’s heaviest burdens, all the while offering an unexpected tale of hope and wonder.

My review

Cate is struggling financially, still grieving for her husband, and needing to move with her son, Leo, who has Down’s Syndrome and finds change difficult. The only place they can stay is the Hatters Museum that belongs to her husband’s family – which turns out to be struggling too. You would think that this would make for a dreary tale. But surprisingly, the book is full of hope and smiles and the underlying theme of what love, kindness and community can do to save people and in this case a Museum as well.

I loved the author’s writing and the great characters she created and of course the wonderful descriptions of the Museum itself.

In my opinion, the blurb doesn’t seem to do justice to how wonderfully this story evolves. It was really moving and memorable.

Meet The Author

Internationally bestselling author Anstey Harris first captured readers’ hearts with Goodbye, Paris (2019). The winner of the 2015 H.G. Wells Short Story Prize, her short stories have been published widely. Anstey lives in Kent, England, and is the mother of singer-songwriter Lucy Spraggan.

Connect with Anstey on her website and on Twitter.

Buy The Book on Amazon.