Behind the Scenes at the Museum

By Kate Atkinson,

Book cover of Behind the Scenes at the Museum

Book description

Whitbread Book of the Year, 1995. Ruby was born while her father was in the pub. Her mother, Bunty, had never wanted to marry him, and dreamt of being swept off to America by a romantic hero, but instead, was stuck in a flat with her three children. This is…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Behind the Scenes at the Museum as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

My copy of this book is battered, dog-eared, and creased from the sheer number of times I’ve read and re-read it. It’s an absolutely glorious family saga, recounted by Ruby who narrates her own conception in the first chapter and takes us back through generations weaving together all the different stories that lead up to the events of her own life. It’s brilliantly funny and heartbreaking and it skewers the oddities and dysfunction of family relationships so perfectly. Characters wrestle with their grief, they deny it and suppress it and it rears up to overwhelm them but ultimately they find…

From Jennifer's list on grief and complicated family dynamics.

If you love Behind the Scenes at the Museum...

Ad

Book cover of We Are Made

We Are Made by John Ludlam,

You’re grieving, you’re falling in love and you’re skint. On top of it all, Europe’s going to Hell in a handcart. Things can’t get any worse, can they?

London, 1938. William is grieving over his former teacher and mentor, killed fighting for the Republicans in Spain. As Europe slides towards…

Want books like Behind the Scenes at the Museum?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 72 books like Behind the Scenes at the Museum.

Browse books like Behind the Scenes at the Museum

Book cover of The Song of Achilles
Book cover of Hamnet
Book cover of The Stranding

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

2,008

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like Behind the Scenes at the Museum, you might also like...

Book cover of The Road from Belhaven

The Road from Belhaven by Margot Livesey,

The Road from Belhaven is set in 1880s Scotland. Growing up in the care of her grandparents on Belhaven Farm, Lizzie Craig discovers as a small girl that she can see the future. But she soon realises that she must keep her gift a secret. While she can sometimes glimpse…

Book cover of Paper Dolls

Paper Dolls by Robert Tucker,

Paper Dolls is the memoir of a girl who becomes a young woman in a passionate search for an enduring friendship. Deprived of her older sister, Tess Vanderveer, by the neediness of an Irish ghetto girl, Dove Delaney, Gwen also loses the friendship of Millie Dietz, the beautiful daughter of…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the United Kingdom, New York City, and the Bible?

The United Kingdom 583 books
New York City 1,169 books
The Bible 372 books