The Museum of Failures

A riveting story about uncovering family secrets and the power of forgiveness, set in India and the United States, from the bestselling author of Reese's Book Club pick Honor

Remy Wadia left India for the United States long ago, carrying his resentment of his mother with him. He has now returned to Bombay to adopt a baby from a young pregnant girl--and to see his elderly mother for the first time in several years. Discovering that his mother is in the hospital, has stopped talking, and seems to have given up on life, he is struck with guilt for not realizing just how sick she has become.

His unexpected appearance and assiduous attention revives her and enables her to return to her home. But when Remy stumbles on an old photograph, shocking long-held family secrets surface. As the secrets unravel and Remy's mother begins communicating again, he finds himself reevaluating his entire childhood, his relationship to his parents, and his harsh judgment of the decisions and events long hidden from him, just as he is on the cusp of becoming a parent himself. But most of all, he must learn to forgive others for their failures and human frailties.

Readers of Sankofa by Chibundu Onuzo, Fault Lines by Emily Itami, and Dava Shastri's Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti will devour this story of secrets and family, a reminder that forgiveness comes from realizing that the people we love are usually trying to do their best in the most difficult situations.

Author: Thrity Umrigar
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Published: 09/26/2023
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781643753553


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2023
Booklist 08/01/2023 pg. 25
Publishers Weekly 08/28/2023

About the Author
Thrity Umrigar is the bestselling author of nine previous novels, including Honor, which was a Reese's Book Club Pick, as well as three picture books and a memoir. Her books have been published in over fifteen countries and in several languages. A former journalist, she has contributed to the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and other newspapers. She is a recipient of the Nieman Fellowship to Harvard, and winner of the Cleveland Arts Prize, the Seth Rosenberg prize and a Lambda Literary award. She is currently a Distinguished University Professor of English at Case Western Reserve University.