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Meet Me at the Museum
Tina and Kristian thought their love stories were over. Each on the other side of 60, they have lost a best friend and a wife, the ambitions of their youth, their hopes for a fresh start. Yearning for connection, they strike up a yearlong correspondence, brought together by a shared fascination with the Tollund Man, subject of Seamus Heaney’s famous poem. As they open up to one another about their lives—daily routines, travel, nature, beauty, work, family—these two strangers become friends and then, perhaps, something more.
Full of insight, humor, and candor, Tina and Kristian’s letters are a testament to the joy that can come from the meeting of two intensely curious minds. Anne Youngson’s Meet Me at the Museum is a celebration of long letters, kindred spirits, and the possibility of writing a new story for yourself, at any stage of life.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2018
About the author
Anne Youngson
7 books343 followersAnne Youngson worked for many years in senior management in the car industry before embarking on a creative career as a writer. She has supported many charities in governance roles, including Chair of the Writers in Prison Network, which provided residencies in prisons for writers. She lives in Oxfordshire and is married with two children and three grandchildren to date. Meet Me at the Museum is her debut novel, which is due to be published around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,620 reviews
May 28, 2019
Most readers are familiar with the words... or similar such words:
“Sometimes a book finds us at the perfect time....being exactly what we needed in the moment”.
“Meet Me At The Museum”
was that book for me.
A perfect book to have finished this morning - on my 67th birthday.
I’m lying in bed - under a cozy quilt visiting my daughter in Calgary- looking out my partially open window to clouds and the early morning whispering city sounds.
Time connecting with thyself.....
with our books - reading - is one of life’s greatest personal gifts......
.......reflecting, thinking, feeling, learning, growing,... and hopefully becoming better people in the world.
“Meet Me At The Museum”... was a lovely birthday read.
My time spent reading these letters, between two people - (around my own age), who were they themselves reflecting - thinking - relating - and piecing their lives together -was WONDERFUL!!!!
..intimate, honest, charming, heartfelt... with beautiful humble characters....
was ‘exactly’ what I needed...
Ha...but I give up... impossible to write a serious review here when I’ve been interrupted with a great phone call from Paul ( back home in the states). He was too distracting in the best of ways!! Amazing how much I miss him and we’ve been married 40 years.
Getting up to walk around the river in this lovely modern city before visiting the incredible new library here in Calgary. It’s amazing!!!
Many thanks to the public library for the pleasure to read “Meet Me At The Museum”!
Beautiful Book!!!!
“Sometimes a book finds us at the perfect time....being exactly what we needed in the moment”.
“Meet Me At The Museum”
was that book for me.
A perfect book to have finished this morning - on my 67th birthday.
I’m lying in bed - under a cozy quilt visiting my daughter in Calgary- looking out my partially open window to clouds and the early morning whispering city sounds.
Time connecting with thyself.....
with our books - reading - is one of life’s greatest personal gifts......
.......reflecting, thinking, feeling, learning, growing,... and hopefully becoming better people in the world.
“Meet Me At The Museum”... was a lovely birthday read.
My time spent reading these letters, between two people - (around my own age), who were they themselves reflecting - thinking - relating - and piecing their lives together -was WONDERFUL!!!!
..intimate, honest, charming, heartfelt... with beautiful humble characters....
was ‘exactly’ what I needed...
Ha...but I give up... impossible to write a serious review here when I’ve been interrupted with a great phone call from Paul ( back home in the states). He was too distracting in the best of ways!! Amazing how much I miss him and we’ve been married 40 years.
Getting up to walk around the river in this lovely modern city before visiting the incredible new library here in Calgary. It’s amazing!!!
Many thanks to the public library for the pleasure to read “Meet Me At The Museum”!
Beautiful Book!!!!
May 5, 2018
This is a short and moving epistolary novel from Anne Youngson about the unexpected blossoming of a late flowering love sparked entirely through the letters between them. In Bury St Edmunds Tina Hopgod, is a hard working farmer's wife and grandmother, and Professor Anders Larsen, is a curator of a Silkeborg museum in Denmark with its prized mummified corpse of Tollund Man from the Iron Age. In 1964, Professor PV Glob wrote a dedication in his book, The Bog People, to a group of schoolgirls, which included Tina. Now in her 60s, Tina writes a letter to Glob, not realising he has long since died, Anders replies and so begins the relationship cemented by their loneliness that helps to assuage their grief and loss, filling the unbearable holes that proliferate in their souls.
Tina has lost Bella, her best friend since schooldays, to cancer, both promising to go to the Danish Museum, but life got in the way and a pregnant Tina married Edward, unable to escape the social expectations and restrictions placed on women at the time, neither abortion nor life as a single mother being acceptable options as sacrifice and duty prevailed. Anders has recently lost his beloved wife, and both he and Tina share intimate details of their personal lives, that include their children, items belonging to loved ones, raspberries, their past memories, and love of poetry (Seamus Heaney). Anders continuously invites Tina to visit the museum, but Tina demurs as she has done her whole life. As the bonds between them grow ever stronger as they discuss their philosophies, Tina finds herself in a quandry through the turbulent events that unfold in her life, this goes on to offer hope for the future. This is a delightful read, of a surprising relationship that develops naturally as it meanders through their past and present. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
Tina has lost Bella, her best friend since schooldays, to cancer, both promising to go to the Danish Museum, but life got in the way and a pregnant Tina married Edward, unable to escape the social expectations and restrictions placed on women at the time, neither abortion nor life as a single mother being acceptable options as sacrifice and duty prevailed. Anders has recently lost his beloved wife, and both he and Tina share intimate details of their personal lives, that include their children, items belonging to loved ones, raspberries, their past memories, and love of poetry (Seamus Heaney). Anders continuously invites Tina to visit the museum, but Tina demurs as she has done her whole life. As the bonds between them grow ever stronger as they discuss their philosophies, Tina finds herself in a quandry through the turbulent events that unfold in her life, this goes on to offer hope for the future. This is a delightful read, of a surprising relationship that develops naturally as it meanders through their past and present. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
September 13, 2018
What a wonderful surprise this gem of a book was for me. I do not recall how I learned of this book but I recall seeing my library got the audio and I immediately put myself on the list. Finally, it arrived and I jumped right in. I pushed through this, wanting to know what would happen, not wanting it to end.
The story is told in alternating letters from Tina Hopgood, who lives in England, and Professor Anders Larsen, who lives in Denmark. Tina writes to the Silkeborg museum, sending a letter to Professor PV Glob, who wrote a dedication in his book to a bunch of schoolgirls (Tina being one of them) long ago. Since he has passed, it is Professor Anders, the museum curator, who gets the letter from Tina and responds. So begins this beautiful art of letter writing...really, actually writing letters back and forth. OK, so eventually they switch to email, only to increase the frequency of their correspondence. Both are somewhat lost, almost drifting through life, but this unlikely friendship blooms and each becomes a stronger person. I don't want to say more and give anything away in this one.
It reminded me a bit of 84, Charing Cross Road, where there is also a letter writing correspondence between two unlikely people. But this one is so much better, the character were real, or at least, I wanted them to be real! The audio was great - both narrators did a superb job and kept me so enthralled. I actually looked forward to exercising as I listened while riding my bike. (Now, I'm sure tomorrow I'll not be looking forward to that bike.) It's a quick read, but one that can brighten your day. Just thinking of these two, who you almost think fate played a part in their story. Looking forward to more from this author and stories like this one.
The story is told in alternating letters from Tina Hopgood, who lives in England, and Professor Anders Larsen, who lives in Denmark. Tina writes to the Silkeborg museum, sending a letter to Professor PV Glob, who wrote a dedication in his book to a bunch of schoolgirls (Tina being one of them) long ago. Since he has passed, it is Professor Anders, the museum curator, who gets the letter from Tina and responds. So begins this beautiful art of letter writing...really, actually writing letters back and forth. OK, so eventually they switch to email, only to increase the frequency of their correspondence. Both are somewhat lost, almost drifting through life, but this unlikely friendship blooms and each becomes a stronger person. I don't want to say more and give anything away in this one.
It reminded me a bit of 84, Charing Cross Road, where there is also a letter writing correspondence between two unlikely people. But this one is so much better, the character were real, or at least, I wanted them to be real! The audio was great - both narrators did a superb job and kept me so enthralled. I actually looked forward to exercising as I listened while riding my bike. (Now, I'm sure tomorrow I'll not be looking forward to that bike.) It's a quick read, but one that can brighten your day. Just thinking of these two, who you almost think fate played a part in their story. Looking forward to more from this author and stories like this one.
May 1, 2023
Meet me at the Museum by Anne Youngson is a wonderfully written story about two people who exchange letters (remember the the old-fashioned way?) over a period of a year or so. The initial letter was written by a woman called Tina Hopgood to the curator of a Danish museum enquiring about the famous Tollund Man. The Tollund man is a perfectly preserved human who was discovered in the bogs of Denmark. This person died in the 4 century BCE and is kept at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark. Anders Larsen is the curator who replies to Tina’s letter and this is the start of a wonderful exchange over many months where they get to know each other.
The Tollund Man- he looks so peaceful
The story takes the form of these letters and using this method the author develops the characters in a charming and gentle way. We gradually see each character evolve, we learn about their families, their tragedies, loves and triumphs. Letters are a great way to see a relationship develop and unfold.
The author also creates a degree of tension which I found totally engaging. In this case, the tension was two-fold. Firstly, I was constantly worrying one of them would write something offensive and an argument would ensue and secondly, I was worried about how it would all play out. I believe the main reason I found it tense was – I really, really liked the characters. They were nice people.
I really don’t want to give anything away, it’s not as predictable as you would imagine. This book prompted me to learn about the Tollund Man – what an unbelievable find, these bog mummies are an interesting bunch and worth learning about. He is speaking to us from over 2,000 years ago – trying to tell us his story. Terrific stuff.
An enchanting story 4 Stars
The Tollund Man- he looks so peaceful
The story takes the form of these letters and using this method the author develops the characters in a charming and gentle way. We gradually see each character evolve, we learn about their families, their tragedies, loves and triumphs. Letters are a great way to see a relationship develop and unfold.
The author also creates a degree of tension which I found totally engaging. In this case, the tension was two-fold. Firstly, I was constantly worrying one of them would write something offensive and an argument would ensue and secondly, I was worried about how it would all play out. I believe the main reason I found it tense was – I really, really liked the characters. They were nice people.
I really don’t want to give anything away, it’s not as predictable as you would imagine. This book prompted me to learn about the Tollund Man – what an unbelievable find, these bog mummies are an interesting bunch and worth learning about. He is speaking to us from over 2,000 years ago – trying to tell us his story. Terrific stuff.
An enchanting story 4 Stars
May 4, 2019
"I would cycle miles in the rain, if I had to (which I don't), to post letters to you, if this was only way to make sure you continued to write to me."
This is a gentle story of two people corresponding to one another across continents. Tina in the UK and Anders in Denmark. What starts as a polite "conversation" about history (regarding a query about The Tollund Man*) turns into a friendship as they both let down their guard and continue to write to one another.
Though strangers, they slowly pour their hearts and souls into these letters. They reveal their hopes, dreams and worries of opportunities missed to each other. Things that are intensely private and deeply personal. Via their letters, they become closer to each other than the people closest to them.
I adore how the salutations of their letters changes from "Best wishes" to "Kind regards" to "With love" to simply "love". It's a subtle shift, yet it speaks volumes. Like watching a flower unfurl, a little at a time. Are the two destined to ever meet?
I adored this book. I wanted to reach into the pages and give both Anders and Tina a hug. This is an utterly beguiling and captivating story. Let this little book steal your heart and sail away with it 💖
* The Tollund Man - a man who lived during Denmark's Iron Age. He is distinctive because he was buried in a peat bog around 400 BCE, and the conditions in the bog preserved his body. He can be seen on display at the Silkebord Museum in Denmark.
December 16, 2020
Such a surprise, and I am so glad my perception of what this book would be was wrong. I thought it would be light; it is not. I thought it would be quick; it was not, although the Christmas season with so many things to do did prevent me from reading as much as usual.
I thought it would be easy; it was not that either, because it gave me so much to think about. It was not a straightforward, epistolary novel of an exchange of letters between two people, but an exchange of ideas and feelings that went so much deeper than either of them expected.
A simple premise. Tina Hopgood, a farmer's wife in England, writes to a Professor in Denmark who had written a book called The Bog People, about The Tollund Man, whose preserved body resides in the Silkeborg Museum. (The book, the Professor, the Tolland Man and the Silkeborg Museum are all real) One of the curators of the museum, Anders Larsen, replies with the news that the Professor had died some years ago, but he would try to answer her questions. And thus begins a correspondence that neither of them expected. We move from learning about their lives and families, disappointments and expectations, into another realm entirely, turning them into soulmates who connected only through the written word, no phone calls, no pictures, no googling, never meeting in person. Just words.
I wondered all along how this would end, and whether I would be disappointed, but I needn't have. The ending was open-ended, but perfect, and left me in tears. A wonderful book, a favorite book, a future re-read for sure, and a fan of this author whose first novel has won me over completely.
I thought it would be easy; it was not that either, because it gave me so much to think about. It was not a straightforward, epistolary novel of an exchange of letters between two people, but an exchange of ideas and feelings that went so much deeper than either of them expected.
A simple premise. Tina Hopgood, a farmer's wife in England, writes to a Professor in Denmark who had written a book called The Bog People, about The Tollund Man, whose preserved body resides in the Silkeborg Museum. (The book, the Professor, the Tolland Man and the Silkeborg Museum are all real) One of the curators of the museum, Anders Larsen, replies with the news that the Professor had died some years ago, but he would try to answer her questions. And thus begins a correspondence that neither of them expected. We move from learning about their lives and families, disappointments and expectations, into another realm entirely, turning them into soulmates who connected only through the written word, no phone calls, no pictures, no googling, never meeting in person. Just words.
I wondered all along how this would end, and whether I would be disappointed, but I needn't have. The ending was open-ended, but perfect, and left me in tears. A wonderful book, a favorite book, a future re-read for sure, and a fan of this author whose first novel has won me over completely.
August 1, 2020
4.5 stars
This is a beautiful, beautiful book. Meet Me at the Museum is told solely through letters between Tina Hopgood, a farmer’s wife in England, and Anders Larsen, the curator at a Danish museum. As they continue to write back and forth to each other, their lives, loves and losses are unveiled to each other and the reader. I savored the book and the story trying not to rush through it because it is such a poignant and wonderful tale. Youngson’s writing is thoughtful and lyrical, and her reflections on life and the passage of time are captivating. Portions of this book reminded me a bit of Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf, a favorite book of mine. I highly, highly recommend Meet Me at the Museum; it is well worth the read.
Listen to my podcast at https://www.thoughtsfromapage.com for fun author interviews. For more book reviews, check out my Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsfro....
This is a beautiful, beautiful book. Meet Me at the Museum is told solely through letters between Tina Hopgood, a farmer’s wife in England, and Anders Larsen, the curator at a Danish museum. As they continue to write back and forth to each other, their lives, loves and losses are unveiled to each other and the reader. I savored the book and the story trying not to rush through it because it is such a poignant and wonderful tale. Youngson’s writing is thoughtful and lyrical, and her reflections on life and the passage of time are captivating. Portions of this book reminded me a bit of Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf, a favorite book of mine. I highly, highly recommend Meet Me at the Museum; it is well worth the read.
Listen to my podcast at https://www.thoughtsfromapage.com for fun author interviews. For more book reviews, check out my Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsfro....
December 19, 2019
Some of the blurbs about this novel made me think that it might be too cloying and heavy handed for me. I didn't need to worry! This epistolary novel is tart and true in its depiction of a growing friendship. And wonderful.
December 20, 2020
What a lovely book. At the start I thought it was a little like 84, Charing Cross road, but it took another route. I enjoyed looking up the Tollund man and Seamus Heaney's poem about him which I had read some forty odd years ago.
December 17, 2019
When Tina Hopgood writes a letter to Professor Glob, she is not expecting to receive a reply. She knows that he is probably dead as he would have to be over 100 years old now. Back in 1964 a group of girls including Tina wrote a letter to Professor Glob. He wrote a book The Bog people, who the girls were interested in, and dedicated it to them, one of whom was his daughter.
Tina, in a moment of contemplating things in life and opportunities missed, writes this letter to the professor more than fifty years later. She is particularly interested in the Tollund Man.
She is than quite surprised to receive a reply from the curator of the Silkeborg Museum, confirming that yes indeed Professor Glob passed away some time ago, but he then encourages her to come to the Museum to see the Tollund Man.
She whimsically replies to this letter, in what really is a bit of a waffle, about how her and her friend planned to go and see the Tollund Man, made plans and the time never seemed right until her friend passed away and she does not feel she could make the trip without her now.
Anders Larsen, the curator again replies to this letter and without either of them totally realising it, they have become, almost inadvertently, drawn into an ongoing correspondence.
As the correspondence continues, both start slowly exchanging more and more personal information and the buds of a friendship start to slowly open and bloom. More letters are exchanged, and a beautiful flower opens.
Through this correspondence, we start to learn more about both characters, their lives, their histories, their achievements, their regrets, as well as being a great way to build their backstory, their letters are also entertaining, always segueing into different anecdotes.
Inevitably, their feelings for one another grow deeper with each letter.
In this day and age when worldwide communication is quite easily accessible to modern countries, both Tina and Anders make a promise to each other to shun modern technology, and even when sending letters by email, they attach the “letter” to the email and then print it out. There is something beautiful and romantic about this agreement. By writing to each other in the old-style format of a letter, both are able to truly stop and think about the letter they have received and again stop, ponder and think on responses. Perhaps this is the reason they grow so close, never having actually met in person, because each of them has experienced the others deep and meaningful thoughts. Perhaps this is something that is missing from the modern social media crazy world. Do we really need to know that our best friend dropped their coffee on the way out of McDonalds, and then see a picture of it on Instagram, five seconds after it happened? Written words will probably not even be used it will just be a bunch of sad faced emojis.
I truly hope with every fibre of my being, that poetry, literature, love letters, casual letters, deep and meaningful letters in which you expose your soul to a friend will always have a place in our world.
A beautiful well written story. 4 Stars.
Tina, in a moment of contemplating things in life and opportunities missed, writes this letter to the professor more than fifty years later. She is particularly interested in the Tollund Man.
She is than quite surprised to receive a reply from the curator of the Silkeborg Museum, confirming that yes indeed Professor Glob passed away some time ago, but he then encourages her to come to the Museum to see the Tollund Man.
She whimsically replies to this letter, in what really is a bit of a waffle, about how her and her friend planned to go and see the Tollund Man, made plans and the time never seemed right until her friend passed away and she does not feel she could make the trip without her now.
Anders Larsen, the curator again replies to this letter and without either of them totally realising it, they have become, almost inadvertently, drawn into an ongoing correspondence.
As the correspondence continues, both start slowly exchanging more and more personal information and the buds of a friendship start to slowly open and bloom. More letters are exchanged, and a beautiful flower opens.
Through this correspondence, we start to learn more about both characters, their lives, their histories, their achievements, their regrets, as well as being a great way to build their backstory, their letters are also entertaining, always segueing into different anecdotes.
Inevitably, their feelings for one another grow deeper with each letter.
In this day and age when worldwide communication is quite easily accessible to modern countries, both Tina and Anders make a promise to each other to shun modern technology, and even when sending letters by email, they attach the “letter” to the email and then print it out. There is something beautiful and romantic about this agreement. By writing to each other in the old-style format of a letter, both are able to truly stop and think about the letter they have received and again stop, ponder and think on responses. Perhaps this is the reason they grow so close, never having actually met in person, because each of them has experienced the others deep and meaningful thoughts. Perhaps this is something that is missing from the modern social media crazy world. Do we really need to know that our best friend dropped their coffee on the way out of McDonalds, and then see a picture of it on Instagram, five seconds after it happened? Written words will probably not even be used it will just be a bunch of sad faced emojis.
I truly hope with every fibre of my being, that poetry, literature, love letters, casual letters, deep and meaningful letters in which you expose your soul to a friend will always have a place in our world.
A beautiful well written story. 4 Stars.
July 13, 2018
3.5 sweetie-pies
“Our letters have meant so much to us because we have both arrived at the same point in our lives. More behind us than ahead of us.”
-Anne Youngson
They have never met. They have never even seen a picture of the other. They live over 700 miles apart. Yet, they have found more comfort and companionship in each other than they ever thought possible.
Tina Hopgood lives in East Anglia, England, on a farm. She has lived there with her husband for over 30 years. Her children, now adults, are part of the farm and her daily life. Tina writes a letter intended to be received by Professor P.V. Glob, a Danish archaeologist at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark. A book that was dedicated to her by this Professor when she was a child, had prompted her to write to him. His discovery and excavation of the well preserved Tullund Man from the bogs of Jutland, is a memory that stayed with her over all the years. One of these days, she will make the trip to the museum to see this man from 250 BC, herself.
“I want there to be a significance in the connection made between you and me in 1964 that links back to the man buried in the bog two thousand years ago.”
-Anne Youngson
Anders works at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark. He receives a letter from a Tina Hopgood from England, intended for Professor P.V. Glob. But the Professor had died several years ago and Anders politely writes her back sending along some general Museum information. Not a long while later, Trina writes back as a means of explaining how all of this has become so important to her and why she has waited so long to follow this interest. Anders politely replies. And this continues, not by e-mail, but the old fashioned way through the postal system. Anders begins to open up about his work and inquiries about her natural surroundings living on the farm in the countryside.
“In particular, I have been thinking of what sort of history that is my special field. What lasts? What is it that determines what lasts?”
-Anne Youngson
Their letters carry on for a timespan of about a year with conversations ranging from history, ecology, herpetology and biology, to venturing into their personal lives, their children, their thoughts, likes and dislikes. Until one day….it stops!
***
Inspired by the actual Tollund Man and the real Silkeborg Museum in Denmark, this epistolary novel is all about friendship. Trina and Anders share a deep connection that evokes them to think. They are not always of the same opinion, but feel they can respectfully express themselves to the other. Their vulnerabilities makes this novel sweet and real.
The plotline expands beyond the two characters involving their families and what is happening in their lives. In parts you forget you are reading this entire novel in letters. There are moment of joy, despair, hope and loss. It is not a fast paced read. It renders so much honesty and simple goodness, it does not require speed or loud activity. It is a journey inward in a sense. Something to read while sipping hot cocoa. Very lovely and sweet.
I received a digital copy of this ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you kindly.
Find more of my reviews here: https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/
“Our letters have meant so much to us because we have both arrived at the same point in our lives. More behind us than ahead of us.”
-Anne Youngson
They have never met. They have never even seen a picture of the other. They live over 700 miles apart. Yet, they have found more comfort and companionship in each other than they ever thought possible.
Tina Hopgood lives in East Anglia, England, on a farm. She has lived there with her husband for over 30 years. Her children, now adults, are part of the farm and her daily life. Tina writes a letter intended to be received by Professor P.V. Glob, a Danish archaeologist at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark. A book that was dedicated to her by this Professor when she was a child, had prompted her to write to him. His discovery and excavation of the well preserved Tullund Man from the bogs of Jutland, is a memory that stayed with her over all the years. One of these days, she will make the trip to the museum to see this man from 250 BC, herself.
“I want there to be a significance in the connection made between you and me in 1964 that links back to the man buried in the bog two thousand years ago.”
-Anne Youngson
Anders works at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark. He receives a letter from a Tina Hopgood from England, intended for Professor P.V. Glob. But the Professor had died several years ago and Anders politely writes her back sending along some general Museum information. Not a long while later, Trina writes back as a means of explaining how all of this has become so important to her and why she has waited so long to follow this interest. Anders politely replies. And this continues, not by e-mail, but the old fashioned way through the postal system. Anders begins to open up about his work and inquiries about her natural surroundings living on the farm in the countryside.
“In particular, I have been thinking of what sort of history that is my special field. What lasts? What is it that determines what lasts?”
-Anne Youngson
Their letters carry on for a timespan of about a year with conversations ranging from history, ecology, herpetology and biology, to venturing into their personal lives, their children, their thoughts, likes and dislikes. Until one day….it stops!
***
Inspired by the actual Tollund Man and the real Silkeborg Museum in Denmark, this epistolary novel is all about friendship. Trina and Anders share a deep connection that evokes them to think. They are not always of the same opinion, but feel they can respectfully express themselves to the other. Their vulnerabilities makes this novel sweet and real.
The plotline expands beyond the two characters involving their families and what is happening in their lives. In parts you forget you are reading this entire novel in letters. There are moment of joy, despair, hope and loss. It is not a fast paced read. It renders so much honesty and simple goodness, it does not require speed or loud activity. It is a journey inward in a sense. Something to read while sipping hot cocoa. Very lovely and sweet.
I received a digital copy of this ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you kindly.
Find more of my reviews here: https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/
May 16, 2019
January can be a tough month, and for anyone who needs their spirits lifted, I recommend this sweet and gentle story.
Tina is a sixty-something English woman, struggling with the loss of her dear friend Bella. They had always planned to travel to Denmark to see the Tollund Man, an archaeological discovery that struck a chord with them as schoolgirls. She writes to the museum that displays it and receives a reply from Anders, a curator. He encourages her to visit, even without Bella. They begin to exchange regular correspondence. A friendship develops and we find out more about their lives.
The tone of their letters is often wistful. Both Tina and Anders look back on life with feelings of regret. Tina became pregnant with her first boyfriend and married him out of a sense of obligation. Though she and Edward have three grown children, their relationship is loveless. She also feels unfulfilled by her role as a farmer's wife. Anders is a widower and lives alone. He loved his wife very much but we learn that their marriage had its own difficulties.
However, it's not all sorrow. There is a undeniable spark between Anders and Tina, and we can see that the letters are filling a void in their lives. There is an intellectual connection, they enjoy learning from one another. But it's not only that. They give each other advice and encouragement, they tell each other stories from their day. Maybe this friendship could blossom into something more...
So why only three stars? Well there is a late plot twist that I found extremely predictable and convenient. Also, for somebody who keeps apologising about his English skills, I thought Anders' grasp of the language was a little too polished. I'm nitpicking, I know. I really did enjoy this tender, hopeful novel. It's the kind of story that can cheer you up when things are not turning out as planned. As Anders' daughter tells him, "Nothing is so fixed it cannot be altered."
Tina is a sixty-something English woman, struggling with the loss of her dear friend Bella. They had always planned to travel to Denmark to see the Tollund Man, an archaeological discovery that struck a chord with them as schoolgirls. She writes to the museum that displays it and receives a reply from Anders, a curator. He encourages her to visit, even without Bella. They begin to exchange regular correspondence. A friendship develops and we find out more about their lives.
The tone of their letters is often wistful. Both Tina and Anders look back on life with feelings of regret. Tina became pregnant with her first boyfriend and married him out of a sense of obligation. Though she and Edward have three grown children, their relationship is loveless. She also feels unfulfilled by her role as a farmer's wife. Anders is a widower and lives alone. He loved his wife very much but we learn that their marriage had its own difficulties.
However, it's not all sorrow. There is a undeniable spark between Anders and Tina, and we can see that the letters are filling a void in their lives. There is an intellectual connection, they enjoy learning from one another. But it's not only that. They give each other advice and encouragement, they tell each other stories from their day. Maybe this friendship could blossom into something more...
So why only three stars? Well there is a late plot twist that I found extremely predictable and convenient. Also, for somebody who keeps apologising about his English skills, I thought Anders' grasp of the language was a little too polished. I'm nitpicking, I know. I really did enjoy this tender, hopeful novel. It's the kind of story that can cheer you up when things are not turning out as planned. As Anders' daughter tells him, "Nothing is so fixed it cannot be altered."
April 1, 2024
This is one of those "quiet" books that are quite rare but can often surprise you. I only found out it existed because my friend Vero read it.
An elderly woman from England remembers a Danish museum curator who had written to her and some of her school friends decades ago and sends him a letter. The then-curator is long dead, however, but the current one takes the time to reply and they begin exchanging letters on all kinds of subjects - from history to their families to experiences made and regrettably not made to ... anything, really.
It's a very thin book that doesn't take long to read but the author's writing style was so nice that I kept being swept from one letter to the next and before I knew it, I had read the entire book.
Some elements threw me for a loop for a bit. Like, would a person like Tina really write THAT in a letter to a stranger?! And would a stranger really reply AND in such personal detail? However, some people just might and why not?
Interestingly, the author was relatively old when publishing this AND it was her debut novel. I think that is quite an important detail when looking at the tone of this epistolary novel, at how contemplative, unassuming, and respectful it is, and how it addresses subjects such as aging or how to live with missed changes / roads not taken - or how to be brave and make up for lost time.
It wasn't quite as lovely as I had hoped (a certain something was missing for me, personally), but I did enjoy myself.
An elderly woman from England remembers a Danish museum curator who had written to her and some of her school friends decades ago and sends him a letter. The then-curator is long dead, however, but the current one takes the time to reply and they begin exchanging letters on all kinds of subjects - from history to their families to experiences made and regrettably not made to ... anything, really.
It's a very thin book that doesn't take long to read but the author's writing style was so nice that I kept being swept from one letter to the next and before I knew it, I had read the entire book.
Some elements threw me for a loop for a bit. Like, would a person like Tina really write THAT in a letter to a stranger?! And would a stranger really reply AND in such personal detail? However, some people just might and why not?
Interestingly, the author was relatively old when publishing this AND it was her debut novel. I think that is quite an important detail when looking at the tone of this epistolary novel, at how contemplative, unassuming, and respectful it is, and how it addresses subjects such as aging or how to live with missed changes / roads not taken - or how to be brave and make up for lost time.
It wasn't quite as lovely as I had hoped (a certain something was missing for me, personally), but I did enjoy myself.
May 11, 2019
"Meet Me at the Museum" is a delightful epistolary novel about a man and a woman who find themselves disappointed later in life. They are two strangers who begin a correspondence by chance when Tina, a farmer's wife in England, writes to Anders, a curator at Denmark's Silkeborg Museum. She has had an interest in the Tollund Man who was found in the Danish bogs and is exhibited at the museum. At first Tina and Anders seem very different because she works with her hands at a busy, cluttered farm while Anders works with his mind in a neat office. But they are both very observant, and they understand each other emotionally since Tina is in an unfulfilling marriage and Anders is a lonely widower. They are able to help each other through some rough times through their thoughtful letters. The end of the book is ambiguous leaving the reader wondering if they will ever meet in person. There are many paths we can take in life, and this charming book makes one think about our own choices along with Tina's and Ander's choices.
Some of my favorite quotations:
"Whenever I pick raspberries, I go as carefully as possible down the row, looking for every ripe fruit. But however careful I am, when I turn around to go back the other way, I find fruit I had not seen approaching the plants from the opposite direction. Another life, I thought, might be like a second pass down the row of raspberry canes; there would be good things I had not come across in my first life, but I suspect I would find much of the fruit was already in my basket."
"Our letters have meant so much to us because we have both arrived at the same point in our lives. More behind us than ahead of us. Paths chosen that define us. Enough time left to change."
Seamus Heaney's poem--The Tollund Man
http://sosinglese.eu/the-tollund-man-...
Some of my favorite quotations:
"Whenever I pick raspberries, I go as carefully as possible down the row, looking for every ripe fruit. But however careful I am, when I turn around to go back the other way, I find fruit I had not seen approaching the plants from the opposite direction. Another life, I thought, might be like a second pass down the row of raspberry canes; there would be good things I had not come across in my first life, but I suspect I would find much of the fruit was already in my basket."
"Our letters have meant so much to us because we have both arrived at the same point in our lives. More behind us than ahead of us. Paths chosen that define us. Enough time left to change."
Seamus Heaney's poem--The Tollund Man
http://sosinglese.eu/the-tollund-man-...
January 29, 2021
3.5 Stars
I think most people get to a crossroads in their life, where they look back and reflect on their choices and their accomplishments. With Tina, this happened when her best friend, Bella died.( not a spoiler) They always planned to go together to see the Tollund Man in Denmark- now this will never be possible.
Tina decides to write to Professor Glob, but as he is no longer alive, Anders, the curator of the museum, is the one to respond. So begins there correspondence to each other- initially on paper and then through e mails.
From the letters, we get to know them as individuals. We get to know about their families and their interests. There are crisis’ in both their lives and communicating with each other becomes their life line.
“We have been talking to each other about where life went, and if the way we each spent it was the way we meant to have spent it or would have chosen to spend it if we had known when we made our choices what the other choices were, but we have not wasted our lives. I insist on that.”
For the most part, I really enjoyed the epistolary nature of this book. it fell midway with some exceptionally boring bits- i.e. I can’t imagine wanting to know what tidbits you had sitting on your shelves.
I am in awe that the author, Anne Youngson, is 70 yrs old and this is her debut!
Look forward to reading more of her books.
I think most people get to a crossroads in their life, where they look back and reflect on their choices and their accomplishments. With Tina, this happened when her best friend, Bella died.( not a spoiler) They always planned to go together to see the Tollund Man in Denmark- now this will never be possible.
Tina decides to write to Professor Glob, but as he is no longer alive, Anders, the curator of the museum, is the one to respond. So begins there correspondence to each other- initially on paper and then through e mails.
From the letters, we get to know them as individuals. We get to know about their families and their interests. There are crisis’ in both their lives and communicating with each other becomes their life line.
“We have been talking to each other about where life went, and if the way we each spent it was the way we meant to have spent it or would have chosen to spend it if we had known when we made our choices what the other choices were, but we have not wasted our lives. I insist on that.”
For the most part, I really enjoyed the epistolary nature of this book. it fell midway with some exceptionally boring bits- i.e. I can’t imagine wanting to know what tidbits you had sitting on your shelves.
I am in awe that the author, Anne Youngson, is 70 yrs old and this is her debut!
Look forward to reading more of her books.
April 30, 2018
The promotional blurb accompanying this title appealed to me because it mentioned letter writing and Scandinavia, two themes guaranteed to arouse my curiosity. That it concerns also a profound friendship developing between two people who know each other simply because of words on paper was, for me, a delightful bonus.
Meet Me at the Museum is 70-year-old British author, Anne Youngson's debut novel. Prior to her entry on to the literary scene she worked at senior level in product development for a major car company, and has since supported many charities in governance roles, including becoming Chair of the Writers in Prison Network.
Her tale of obligation, loss of self and a 4th century BCE mummified corpse discovered on the Jutland peninsula centres on the lives of two people who, on the face of it, appear to be utterly mismatched. He, Anders Larsen, the cerebral curator of a museum in Silkeborg. She, Tina Hopgood, a hard-working farmer’s wife from Bury St Edmunds. But fate and a bog body bring them together, enabling them to develop a rich, empathetic bond. They find they are alike in many ways: both have grown-up children, both have experienced painful losses, and both quietly survive each day without truly living.
Their gentle philosophising and shared memories become a necessity to them. Anders ponders beauty and violence, while Tina reflects on her love of poetry – in particular, Seamus Heaney’s The Tollund Man. At one point a merman is mentioned, and I half expected us to drift into the realms of magical realism, but no, these characters are way too pragmatic to believe in the existence of such creatures.
Meet Me at the Museum is an epistolary story of love and selflessness. Not only do the words of Anders and Tina lift them above long-held feelings of monotony and despondency but they fill each other with hope for the future. They put a smile on the face of this reader, too.
Many thanks to Transworld Publishers for providing an advance review copy of this title. >>
Meet Me at the Museum is 70-year-old British author, Anne Youngson's debut novel. Prior to her entry on to the literary scene she worked at senior level in product development for a major car company, and has since supported many charities in governance roles, including becoming Chair of the Writers in Prison Network.
Her tale of obligation, loss of self and a 4th century BCE mummified corpse discovered on the Jutland peninsula centres on the lives of two people who, on the face of it, appear to be utterly mismatched. He, Anders Larsen, the cerebral curator of a museum in Silkeborg. She, Tina Hopgood, a hard-working farmer’s wife from Bury St Edmunds. But fate and a bog body bring them together, enabling them to develop a rich, empathetic bond. They find they are alike in many ways: both have grown-up children, both have experienced painful losses, and both quietly survive each day without truly living.
Their gentle philosophising and shared memories become a necessity to them. Anders ponders beauty and violence, while Tina reflects on her love of poetry – in particular, Seamus Heaney’s The Tollund Man. At one point a merman is mentioned, and I half expected us to drift into the realms of magical realism, but no, these characters are way too pragmatic to believe in the existence of such creatures.
Meet Me at the Museum is an epistolary story of love and selflessness. Not only do the words of Anders and Tina lift them above long-held feelings of monotony and despondency but they fill each other with hope for the future. They put a smile on the face of this reader, too.
Many thanks to Transworld Publishers for providing an advance review copy of this title. >>
September 26, 2018
This year’s Midwinter Break. A charming, bittersweet novel composed entirely of the letters that pass between Tina Hopgood, a 60-year-old farmer’s wife in East Anglia, and Anders Larsen, a curator at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark. Tina initially wrote to P.V. Glob, the Danish archaeologist and author of The Bog People, which explored the mystery of the Tollund Man, to thank him for dedicating his book to her and her schoolgirl friends. Larsen informed her that Professor Glob was dead, but also kindly replied to the subtext of Tina’s letter. She is desperate to find meaning in her older age, and mourning the death from breast cancer of her best friend Bella, who always swore that they would go see the Tollund Man in person at the Silkeborg Museum.
Gradually Tina and Anders’ letters become less formal and more intimate (watch for the changes in how they start and sign off) as they describe their daily lives and their regrets. They are outwardly very different – Tina works mostly outdoors and lives in a cluttered, chintzy farmhouse; Anders works indoors, usually at a computer, and has a typically Scandinavian minimalist home – but both have grown discontented with the smallness of their lives and come to rely on each other’s emotional support when they face family crises.
There’s a lovely repeated metaphor of the raspberries you’ve left behind on a bush – things you never learned to appreciate, such as music or poetry – and can only find when going back down the row the other way. It’s a novel about such second chances in the second half of life, and it has an open but hopeful ending. I found the book very touching and wish it hadn’t been given the women’s fiction treatment in its packaging (and title, even).
Gradually Tina and Anders’ letters become less formal and more intimate (watch for the changes in how they start and sign off) as they describe their daily lives and their regrets. They are outwardly very different – Tina works mostly outdoors and lives in a cluttered, chintzy farmhouse; Anders works indoors, usually at a computer, and has a typically Scandinavian minimalist home – but both have grown discontented with the smallness of their lives and come to rely on each other’s emotional support when they face family crises.
There’s a lovely repeated metaphor of the raspberries you’ve left behind on a bush – things you never learned to appreciate, such as music or poetry – and can only find when going back down the row the other way. It’s a novel about such second chances in the second half of life, and it has an open but hopeful ending. I found the book very touching and wish it hadn’t been given the women’s fiction treatment in its packaging (and title, even).
July 25, 2022
Being that I’ve been in somewhat of a reading slump, I chose to read this because it is only 267 pages long. I ended up completely invested in the lives of the two main characters. This is not a fast paced novel. It’s told completely in letters. I loved both characters and I was sad in the end that it was only 267 pages. Recommended if you don’t mind a slow paced character driven story.
March 11, 2020
This was a random pickup from the library, so totally not on any of my friends' shelves.
But it's good that it's not on their shelves, I mean why would they want to read something so disappointing?
Anyway let me continue.
This book was uber cute in the beginning with exchanging letters, and literary knowledge being passed in between.
It was perfect..but then.
The information passing got so boring that I wondered whether the author actually had slipped an encyclopedia inside instead of the actual story.
Enquiries ya know...
So hence the DNF. I honestly thought there would be more than just lessons exchanged but clearly I was wrong.
So I do not recommend this book. Better luck to me, next time supposedly.
Until the next read,
TMR
But it's good that it's not on their shelves, I mean why would they want to read something so disappointing?
Anyway let me continue.
This book was uber cute in the beginning with exchanging letters, and literary knowledge being passed in between.
It was perfect..but then.
The information passing got so boring that I wondered whether the author actually had slipped an encyclopedia inside instead of the actual story.
Enquiries ya know...
So hence the DNF. I honestly thought there would be more than just lessons exchanged but clearly I was wrong.
So I do not recommend this book. Better luck to me, next time supposedly.
Until the next read,
TMR
August 28, 2018
3.5
Anne Youngson's debut is a charming epistolary novel about strangers who discover themselves in letter writing. Tina's one fatal mistake lead to a life as a farmer's wife, and now that her best friend has died she is struggling to find purpose and meaning.
Tina writes to Prof. Glob about the Tollund Man, which she longs to see for herself. She learns that the Professor has died when Anders, a museum curator, responds. They continue to write to each other and a friendship grows. As they share their ideas, losses, and disappointments, the reader observes a meeting of minds and hearts blossoming.
Meet Me at the Museum was inspired by the Tollund Man, the prehistoric preserved body which in 1952 was discovered in a Danish bog. Professor P. V. Glob excavated the remains and wrote the book The Bog People, which I remember reading in the early 1970s. In 1970 the poet Seamus Heaney wrote the poem The Tollund Man. Youngson was haunted by the poem and the image of the Tollund Man, intrigued by the mystery of the man's life and death.
This quiet novel, in which nothing much happens, about people who are not in themselves anyone in particular, will not engage readers who prefer a plot line that catapults you into a page-turning frenzy. It was a perfect read as I sat under the apple trees on my patio, the robins splashing in the bird bath and the bees flocking to the flowering oregano in the herb garden. Complications do arise in the character's lives and decisions must be made. But the book is about Tina's and Ander's self-analysis and evolving thoughts on matters and ideas and choices and life. It is the story of a slowly blossoming relationship built on an open exchange of ideas, communicating about their internal and external growth. They share lessons they have learned.
Such as Tina's observation that when raspberry picking, you go down the row and select all the ripe berries, then turn around and note all the ones you missed because you only saw one side of the bush.
Can people go back and find the berries they missed on the first walk through life?
That is what the novel is about.
I received a free ARC from the publisher. My review is fair and unbiased.
Anne Youngson's debut is a charming epistolary novel about strangers who discover themselves in letter writing. Tina's one fatal mistake lead to a life as a farmer's wife, and now that her best friend has died she is struggling to find purpose and meaning.
Tina writes to Prof. Glob about the Tollund Man, which she longs to see for herself. She learns that the Professor has died when Anders, a museum curator, responds. They continue to write to each other and a friendship grows. As they share their ideas, losses, and disappointments, the reader observes a meeting of minds and hearts blossoming.
Meet Me at the Museum was inspired by the Tollund Man, the prehistoric preserved body which in 1952 was discovered in a Danish bog. Professor P. V. Glob excavated the remains and wrote the book The Bog People, which I remember reading in the early 1970s. In 1970 the poet Seamus Heaney wrote the poem The Tollund Man. Youngson was haunted by the poem and the image of the Tollund Man, intrigued by the mystery of the man's life and death.
This quiet novel, in which nothing much happens, about people who are not in themselves anyone in particular, will not engage readers who prefer a plot line that catapults you into a page-turning frenzy. It was a perfect read as I sat under the apple trees on my patio, the robins splashing in the bird bath and the bees flocking to the flowering oregano in the herb garden. Complications do arise in the character's lives and decisions must be made. But the book is about Tina's and Ander's self-analysis and evolving thoughts on matters and ideas and choices and life. It is the story of a slowly blossoming relationship built on an open exchange of ideas, communicating about their internal and external growth. They share lessons they have learned.
Such as Tina's observation that when raspberry picking, you go down the row and select all the ripe berries, then turn around and note all the ones you missed because you only saw one side of the bush.
Can people go back and find the berries they missed on the first walk through life?
That is what the novel is about.
I received a free ARC from the publisher. My review is fair and unbiased.
February 22, 2020
A six star book and a six star audio performance. This is a quietly powerful read, an exploration of marriage and of friendship and grief and so much more. I don't want to throw any spoilers in the themes.
Written in epistolary format, yet so perfect. You'd think that format wouldn't really lend itself to such topics, but it works perfectly. And a first novel, which makes it even more amazing. It begins with a woman writing to a professor from her school days whom she wasn't even sure was still alive, and the curator of a museum answering that letter.
Because the woman and her best friend always promised themselves they'd visit an exhibit at this museum, they develop a correspondence. Due to some events I don't want to spoil, they realize they both are grappling with similar issues in their personal lives, and a friendship develops. That friendship and the way these two support each other in the face of events in the past and still to come are the reason this book became riveting. Yet, I never wanted it to end.
I wish I had more time to write a more in-depth review, but I would say if the blurb for this book intrigues you at all, you should definitely read it. And if you are an audiobook reader (or even if you're not), do not miss the audio performance for this.
It is an absolutely beautiful book. I switched between audio and paper book, and because I didn't want to miss even one word, I usually reread parts I had listened to when I had time to sit with the physical book. Sometimes I read whole paragraphs again. It is that kind of book. Highly recommended. Please let me know what you thought of it!
Written in epistolary format, yet so perfect. You'd think that format wouldn't really lend itself to such topics, but it works perfectly. And a first novel, which makes it even more amazing. It begins with a woman writing to a professor from her school days whom she wasn't even sure was still alive, and the curator of a museum answering that letter.
Because the woman and her best friend always promised themselves they'd visit an exhibit at this museum, they develop a correspondence. Due to some events I don't want to spoil, they realize they both are grappling with similar issues in their personal lives, and a friendship develops. That friendship and the way these two support each other in the face of events in the past and still to come are the reason this book became riveting. Yet, I never wanted it to end.
I wish I had more time to write a more in-depth review, but I would say if the blurb for this book intrigues you at all, you should definitely read it. And if you are an audiobook reader (or even if you're not), do not miss the audio performance for this.
It is an absolutely beautiful book. I switched between audio and paper book, and because I didn't want to miss even one word, I usually reread parts I had listened to when I had time to sit with the physical book. Sometimes I read whole paragraphs again. It is that kind of book. Highly recommended. Please let me know what you thought of it!
November 28, 2019
“Meet Me at the Museum” written by published writer Anne Youngson was my first epistolary novel I have read and considering its unique nature, I found it very easy to read and quite ingenious how it pulled me straight in.
Written in the form of letters between Tina HopGood, a farmers wife living in Suffolk and Anders Larsen, a lonely widowed museum curator in Denmark, they soon begin a blossoming friendship where they share stories filled with joy and anguish, realising deep rooted feelings and emotions.
The subject of the letters - The Tollund Man, a preserved human body from the Iron Age discovered in a bog in Denmark - was both interesting and informative and I enjoyed learning about him and Iron Age settlements discovered in the UK, enough to do my own research on the topic. I enjoyed how they both loathed moving to electronic communication after writing physical letters and how they both agreed that they must print the email attachments out and read as if posted as a written letter.
Beautifully tender and unsuspectingly moving, I really enjoyed reading this novella type story and if you’re after an unusual, undemanding, gentle read of friendship, love and humanity you’d be hard pushed to find a better book and I’d happily recommend it and it’s author.
Written in the form of letters between Tina HopGood, a farmers wife living in Suffolk and Anders Larsen, a lonely widowed museum curator in Denmark, they soon begin a blossoming friendship where they share stories filled with joy and anguish, realising deep rooted feelings and emotions.
The subject of the letters - The Tollund Man, a preserved human body from the Iron Age discovered in a bog in Denmark - was both interesting and informative and I enjoyed learning about him and Iron Age settlements discovered in the UK, enough to do my own research on the topic. I enjoyed how they both loathed moving to electronic communication after writing physical letters and how they both agreed that they must print the email attachments out and read as if posted as a written letter.
Beautifully tender and unsuspectingly moving, I really enjoyed reading this novella type story and if you’re after an unusual, undemanding, gentle read of friendship, love and humanity you’d be hard pushed to find a better book and I’d happily recommend it and it’s author.
December 27, 2018
4.5, rounded up. Costa Award nominee 2018 for Debut Novel
Ok, first of all, I have always been a sucker for epistolary novels - from Richardson to Laclos to Stoker and Shelley to Helene Hanff to Alice Walker to A. S. Byatt to Julie Schumacher, etc. etc., there is just something about the form that I find immensely appealing... so I was somewhat predisposed to like this from the get go.
Secondly, and this might be harder for those who only know my cynical, snarky side to believe, I have a huge sentimental streak, even if something sometimes gets a bit twee or gushy. So it is that I had to surrender to this quite charming, yet well-written tale of two strangers finding each other through a 'marriage of true minds'. There is nothing terribly profound or earth-shatteringly 'new' or innovative here, just an involving and delightful tale, with well-defined and idiosyncratic characters, told well.
Ok, first of all, I have always been a sucker for epistolary novels - from Richardson to Laclos to Stoker and Shelley to Helene Hanff to Alice Walker to A. S. Byatt to Julie Schumacher, etc. etc., there is just something about the form that I find immensely appealing... so I was somewhat predisposed to like this from the get go.
Secondly, and this might be harder for those who only know my cynical, snarky side to believe, I have a huge sentimental streak, even if something sometimes gets a bit twee or gushy. So it is that I had to surrender to this quite charming, yet well-written tale of two strangers finding each other through a 'marriage of true minds'. There is nothing terribly profound or earth-shatteringly 'new' or innovative here, just an involving and delightful tale, with well-defined and idiosyncratic characters, told well.
October 16, 2018
I so enjoyed this little book! The combo storyline of Tina and Anders’ relationship by correspondence, and my being totally captivated by the story of The Tollund Man made this a two for one win for me.
Now, while The Tollund Man plays a role in the telling of this story, he is NOT 100% the story. I want to make that perfectly clear so as not to scare some readers off!
The Tollund Man. Do you know about him? I did not know about him specifically, but I had read of the uncovering of bodies (The Bog People they are called) from over 2,000 years ago! The Tollund Man was buried in 250 B.C. and found during an excavation led by a Danish archaeologist, Professor Glob, in 1950. The Tollund Man was so remarkably well preserved in the peat/bog pits where he lay for all these years. His body, some of his clothing, as well as the noose around his neck and his belt and hair, are perfectly preserved back from the Iron Age. An absolutely stunning and astounding bit of history and archaeology!
The story begins with a woman, Tina, who is now older and is a farmer’s wife and mother. She is writing to the Professor at the museum about The Tollund Man. She and her best friend, Bella, in their younger years and happier days, have always wanted to go to Denmark to the Silkeborg museum to see the preserved and reconstructed remains of The Tollund Man. The (now deceased) Professor, had written a book called “The Bog People” in 1969 and dedicated the book to thirteen schoolgirls who had written to him about his archeological studies, one of the girls being Tina.
Time goes by, life goes on, shit happens...the usual stuff
Fifty years later, Bella has died; Tina gets to wondering about her life choices. She goes through the motions of being a farmer’s wife. She’s not really happy; it was not her choice. Shes trying to figure out the meaning of life, her life and her choices. She still obsesses about going to the museum and seeing the remains of The Tollund Man; still, she does not go. She does not want to go alone.
Anders, the curator at the museum writes Tina back that the good Professor Glob is deceased and Anders offers his own assistance and an invite to visit the museum.
From this initial contact, these two develop a letter writing relationship that goes from business to friendship and gets deeper and more personal over time. There are attributes that The Tollund Man has that Tina yearns for - dignity, serenity, wisdom, resignation. Yet, that pull is there to see The Tollund Man; she still does not go to the museum.
Their continual letters back and forth between Tina and Anders reflect on their daily lives and families and feelings; you will note on the closing of their letters to each other that the signature becomes more personal and affectionate. In their letters they share their past, their secrets, their hopes and dreams, their problems. I felt like I was reading someone’s private letters with their personal thoughts to only be shared with each other; this was integral to the whole storyline.
You will need to read this book for three reasons: to find out what happens to Tina, to find out what happens to Anders, and to find out how The Tollund Man continues to play a part in their lives.
There is a section at the back of the book that gives insight into the details of the excavation, however, I searched for The Tollund Man on the internet and the pictures and info just blew me away! I suggest you check it out too, before reading the book.
Now, while The Tollund Man plays a role in the telling of this story, he is NOT 100% the story. I want to make that perfectly clear so as not to scare some readers off!
The Tollund Man. Do you know about him? I did not know about him specifically, but I had read of the uncovering of bodies (The Bog People they are called) from over 2,000 years ago! The Tollund Man was buried in 250 B.C. and found during an excavation led by a Danish archaeologist, Professor Glob, in 1950. The Tollund Man was so remarkably well preserved in the peat/bog pits where he lay for all these years. His body, some of his clothing, as well as the noose around his neck and his belt and hair, are perfectly preserved back from the Iron Age. An absolutely stunning and astounding bit of history and archaeology!
The story begins with a woman, Tina, who is now older and is a farmer’s wife and mother. She is writing to the Professor at the museum about The Tollund Man. She and her best friend, Bella, in their younger years and happier days, have always wanted to go to Denmark to the Silkeborg museum to see the preserved and reconstructed remains of The Tollund Man. The (now deceased) Professor, had written a book called “The Bog People” in 1969 and dedicated the book to thirteen schoolgirls who had written to him about his archeological studies, one of the girls being Tina.
Time goes by, life goes on, shit happens...the usual stuff
Fifty years later, Bella has died; Tina gets to wondering about her life choices. She goes through the motions of being a farmer’s wife. She’s not really happy; it was not her choice. Shes trying to figure out the meaning of life, her life and her choices. She still obsesses about going to the museum and seeing the remains of The Tollund Man; still, she does not go. She does not want to go alone.
Anders, the curator at the museum writes Tina back that the good Professor Glob is deceased and Anders offers his own assistance and an invite to visit the museum.
From this initial contact, these two develop a letter writing relationship that goes from business to friendship and gets deeper and more personal over time. There are attributes that The Tollund Man has that Tina yearns for - dignity, serenity, wisdom, resignation. Yet, that pull is there to see The Tollund Man; she still does not go to the museum.
Their continual letters back and forth between Tina and Anders reflect on their daily lives and families and feelings; you will note on the closing of their letters to each other that the signature becomes more personal and affectionate. In their letters they share their past, their secrets, their hopes and dreams, their problems. I felt like I was reading someone’s private letters with their personal thoughts to only be shared with each other; this was integral to the whole storyline.
You will need to read this book for three reasons: to find out what happens to Tina, to find out what happens to Anders, and to find out how The Tollund Man continues to play a part in their lives.
There is a section at the back of the book that gives insight into the details of the excavation, however, I searched for The Tollund Man on the internet and the pictures and info just blew me away! I suggest you check it out too, before reading the book.
September 24, 2018
This was a really lovely little book about grief and finding yourself later in life. It’s an epistolary novel between a British farm wife who recently lost her best friend and a Danish museum curator who recently lost his troubled wife. They develop a close relationship and help each other overcome grief and loneliness through their letters.
April 29, 2022
The museum referred to in the title of the book is the Silkeborg Museum, located in Denmark, which houses a carefully preserved man from the Iron Age. He is called the "Tollund Man". The book begins when Tina Hopgood, a farmer's wife living in England, writes to the museum and expresses an interest in visiting it. Anders Larsen, a widowed archeologist who works at the museum, promptly writes back to her. So begins a correspondence which changes both of their lives. The letters gradually grow more personal in time and are meaningful to each of them. Those of you who have read "84, Charring Cross Road" will see a similarity in this book.
The story grew more and more interesting as it unfolded. We learn that Tina has been unfulfilled in her marriage. She and her husband work as a team, but don't share intimate thoughts and feelings with each other. They have very different personalities. Through the letters Tina writes to Anders, she also shares the different relationships she has with each of her three children.
Anders lives alone and finds satisfaction in his work. He loves it when his adult children visit him. He is lonely. An interesting aspect of the story is his daughter becoming pregnant and his reactions. Anders' relationship with his deceased wife is also explored. She had emotional problems, which always worried him.
Meditating and reflecting on their lives through the letters endear Tina and Anders to each other. They are friends, yet the reader is left with the impression that a romantic relationship might occur in the future. This is left open at the end of the book.
I have a special GR's shelf for gentle books and am placing this one there. What a nice way to begin my reading year!
Additional: I enjoyed two motifs found in the book about raspberries and ferns -
1. Tina tells Anders, "Whenever I pick raspberries, I go as carefully as possible down the row, looking for every ripe fruit. But however careful I am, when I turn round to go back the other way, I find fruit I had not seen approaching the plants from the opposite direction. Another life, I thought, might be like a second pass down the row of raspberry canes."
2. Tina finds beauty in the unfurling of green fern fronds and likens them to life's potential for growth.
The story grew more and more interesting as it unfolded. We learn that Tina has been unfulfilled in her marriage. She and her husband work as a team, but don't share intimate thoughts and feelings with each other. They have very different personalities. Through the letters Tina writes to Anders, she also shares the different relationships she has with each of her three children.
Anders lives alone and finds satisfaction in his work. He loves it when his adult children visit him. He is lonely. An interesting aspect of the story is his daughter becoming pregnant and his reactions. Anders' relationship with his deceased wife is also explored. She had emotional problems, which always worried him.
Meditating and reflecting on their lives through the letters endear Tina and Anders to each other. They are friends, yet the reader is left with the impression that a romantic relationship might occur in the future. This is left open at the end of the book.
I have a special GR's shelf for gentle books and am placing this one there. What a nice way to begin my reading year!
Additional: I enjoyed two motifs found in the book about raspberries and ferns -
1. Tina tells Anders, "Whenever I pick raspberries, I go as carefully as possible down the row, looking for every ripe fruit. But however careful I am, when I turn round to go back the other way, I find fruit I had not seen approaching the plants from the opposite direction. Another life, I thought, might be like a second pass down the row of raspberry canes."
2. Tina finds beauty in the unfurling of green fern fronds and likens them to life's potential for growth.
January 26, 2021
Обожаю, когда попадаются неизвестные книги, от которых не ждёшь ничего особенного, а в итоге оторваться невозможно.
Тина Хопгуд 30 лет живет на ферме в Англии с мужем и уже взрослыми детьми. Когда она была школьницей, в Дании нашли человека из Толлунда, археолог Петер Глоб написал об этом книгу и с тех пор Тина мечтала съездить в музей Силькеборга и прикоснуться к истории железного века. Она пишет профессору Глобу, но отвечает ей куратор музея, Андерс Ларсен. Профессор давно уже умер, Андерс присылает вежливый формальный ответ с информацией о работе музея, и неожиданно между Тиной и Андерсом завязывается переписка. Так бывает, когда людям просто нужно выговориться. Сначала они обсуждали историю, биологию и то, как много и одновременно мало между ними общего. Постепенно темой писем стали дети, друзья, личная жизнь, радости и горести, между ними появилась нежная дружба, но однажды Тина внезапно перестала отвечать.
Очень неторопливая и добрая книга. В этих письмах настолько тонко раскрыт внутренний мир героев, они такие настоящие, что безусловно хочется, чтобы у них всё было хорошо. Чтобы каждый смог рассмотреть и собрать пропущенные ягоды малины на поле жизни, чтобы хватило смелости измениться, несмотря на уже немолодой возраст. И встретиться, наконец-то, в музее.
Тина Хопгуд 30 лет живет на ферме в Англии с мужем и уже взрослыми детьми. Когда она была школьницей, в Дании нашли человека из Толлунда, археолог Петер Глоб написал об этом книгу и с тех пор Тина мечтала съездить в музей Силькеборга и прикоснуться к истории железного века. Она пишет профессору Глобу, но отвечает ей куратор музея, Андерс Ларсен. Профессор давно уже умер, Андерс присылает вежливый формальный ответ с информацией о работе музея, и неожиданно между Тиной и Андерсом завязывается переписка. Так бывает, когда людям просто нужно выговориться. Сначала они обсуждали историю, биологию и то, как много и одновременно мало между ними общего. Постепенно темой писем стали дети, друзья, личная жизнь, радости и горести, между ними появилась нежная дружба, но однажды Тина внезапно перестала отвечать.
Очень неторопливая и добрая книга. В этих письмах настолько тонко раскрыт внутренний мир героев, они такие настоящие, что безусловно хочется, чтобы у них всё было хорошо. Чтобы каждый смог рассмотреть и собрать пропущенные ягоды малины на поле жизни, чтобы хватило смелости измениться, несмотря на уже немолодой возраст. И встретиться, наконец-то, в музее.
January 7, 2020
En realidad no es un libro que te cuente una historia, es un libro lleno de historias, y en estas cartas que se envian, entendí la necesidad que tenemos de comunicarnos, creo que comunicarse con los demás es una necesidad...
May 23, 2018
4.5*
I do enjoy an epistolary novel, especially when it is done well – and Meet Me at the Museum is very well written indeed.
Tina Hopgood, a farmer’s wife from East Anglia and Anders Larsen, curator of the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark strike up an unlikely friendship when Tina sends a letter addressed to a Professor Glob who 50 years before had dedicated a book to Tina and her schoolfriends about his discovery of the ‘Tollund Man’, an Iron Age man found in a bog whose preserved body (or the remains of) lies in the museum. Tina and her late friend Bella, always meant to visit the museum but neither of them ever did and Tina writes to explain her regret, not knowing whether or not the Professor is still alive.
It turns out that Professor Glob is long dead but her letter is picked up by Anders and this is where their correspondence begins.
The story of Tina and Anders is told entirely in letters between the two of them. They start off on a formal basis conversing about the Tollund Man and their shared archaeological interests but as the correspondence continues it reflects their growing friendship and they find themselves confiding in each other about their feelings, their lives and families and seeking advice from the other. For some reason it is often easier to unburden yourself to a stranger than to a loved one.
Meet me at the Museum is a thoughtful and touching story of two people whose intimate thoughts and, also regrets, are entrusted to someone they have never met.
Don’t expect a fast paced read. This book is very much a gentle character driven narrative. The timeline is set in a period of just over a year and in that time nothing happens but then again, everything happens, as Tina and Anders bare their souls to each other; by the end of the book neither of their worlds will be the same again.
I was spellbound by this debut novel. Anne Youngson writes beautifully and I found myself nodding in agreement with many of Tina’s observations. Both characters are extremely easy to feel empathy for and when the book finished, I felt an immense sadness that I had to say goodbye to these two people.
I do enjoy an epistolary novel, especially when it is done well – and Meet Me at the Museum is very well written indeed.
Tina Hopgood, a farmer’s wife from East Anglia and Anders Larsen, curator of the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark strike up an unlikely friendship when Tina sends a letter addressed to a Professor Glob who 50 years before had dedicated a book to Tina and her schoolfriends about his discovery of the ‘Tollund Man’, an Iron Age man found in a bog whose preserved body (or the remains of) lies in the museum. Tina and her late friend Bella, always meant to visit the museum but neither of them ever did and Tina writes to explain her regret, not knowing whether or not the Professor is still alive.
It turns out that Professor Glob is long dead but her letter is picked up by Anders and this is where their correspondence begins.
The story of Tina and Anders is told entirely in letters between the two of them. They start off on a formal basis conversing about the Tollund Man and their shared archaeological interests but as the correspondence continues it reflects their growing friendship and they find themselves confiding in each other about their feelings, their lives and families and seeking advice from the other. For some reason it is often easier to unburden yourself to a stranger than to a loved one.
Meet me at the Museum is a thoughtful and touching story of two people whose intimate thoughts and, also regrets, are entrusted to someone they have never met.
Don’t expect a fast paced read. This book is very much a gentle character driven narrative. The timeline is set in a period of just over a year and in that time nothing happens but then again, everything happens, as Tina and Anders bare their souls to each other; by the end of the book neither of their worlds will be the same again.
I was spellbound by this debut novel. Anne Youngson writes beautifully and I found myself nodding in agreement with many of Tina’s observations. Both characters are extremely easy to feel empathy for and when the book finished, I felt an immense sadness that I had to say goodbye to these two people.
October 21, 2018
In her debut novel, written in epistolary form, Anne Youngson not only gives the reader an insight into the thoughts and feelings of Tina and Anders but explores the act of letter writing itself. What emerges from their correspondence is that the act of transforming thoughts into words can have a therapeutic, even cathartic, quality. In one of her early letters, Tina writes, ‘Please be aware, I am writing to you to make sense of myself.’ Later she confides, ‘I don’t know where these thoughts come from except that when I sit down to write to you it seems as if all the strings holding my conscious mind together come loose and let me sub-conscious leak out.’
Both Tina and Anders seem to be trying to make sense of things in their own mind and in this respect their letters are an unburdening and at times have a confessional quality. For example, Anders writes at one point: ‘You have made it possible for me to talk of things I have never spoken of before, and to understand what has been hidden.’
Of course, Tina and Anders are fortunate to have found a correspondent so in tune with their own reflective, thoughtful nature. As Anders says, ‘We have written at length and thoughtfully, and to do this, we have both had to read the letters we received in a thoughtful way.’
Tina and Anders share an explorative, questioning approach to their lives and experiences in their letters although Anders is initially more analytical and less willing to share his emotions than Tina. However this changes in the course of their correspondence. The way they open and sign-off their letters reflects a growing informality and affection and a sense of the mutual support, perhaps even dependence, the letters provide. As Tina confides at one point, ‘I do not know how I would cope without your letters.’
Meet Me at the Museum is a tender story of friendship but also of regret, disappointment and the questioning we probably have all done at some time about life decisions we’ve taken – wondering about the road not travelled, so to speak. As Tina says, ‘We have been talking to each other about where life went, and if the way we each spent it was the way we meant to have spent it or would have chosen to spend it if we had known when we made our choices what the other choices were…’
The conclusion left this reader not disappointed but slightly sad. However, I’d like to think that the ending I hoped for did take place in some alternative literary universe.
Both Tina and Anders seem to be trying to make sense of things in their own mind and in this respect their letters are an unburdening and at times have a confessional quality. For example, Anders writes at one point: ‘You have made it possible for me to talk of things I have never spoken of before, and to understand what has been hidden.’
Of course, Tina and Anders are fortunate to have found a correspondent so in tune with their own reflective, thoughtful nature. As Anders says, ‘We have written at length and thoughtfully, and to do this, we have both had to read the letters we received in a thoughtful way.’
Tina and Anders share an explorative, questioning approach to their lives and experiences in their letters although Anders is initially more analytical and less willing to share his emotions than Tina. However this changes in the course of their correspondence. The way they open and sign-off their letters reflects a growing informality and affection and a sense of the mutual support, perhaps even dependence, the letters provide. As Tina confides at one point, ‘I do not know how I would cope without your letters.’
Meet Me at the Museum is a tender story of friendship but also of regret, disappointment and the questioning we probably have all done at some time about life decisions we’ve taken – wondering about the road not travelled, so to speak. As Tina says, ‘We have been talking to each other about where life went, and if the way we each spent it was the way we meant to have spent it or would have chosen to spend it if we had known when we made our choices what the other choices were…’
The conclusion left this reader not disappointed but slightly sad. However, I’d like to think that the ending I hoped for did take place in some alternative literary universe.
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