Oct 2

Oct 2 The Souvenir Museum

Author: Elizabeth McCracken
Publisher: Ecco
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

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Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

Award-winning author Elizabeth McCracken is an undisputed virtuoso of the short story, and this new collection features her most vibrant and heartrending work to date

In these stories, the mysterious bonds of family are tested, transformed, fractured, and fortified. A recent widower and his adult son ferry to a craggy Scottish island in search of puffins. An actress who plays a children’s game-show villainess ushers in the New Year with her deadbeat half brother. A mother, pining for her children, feasts on loaves of challah to fill the void. A new couple navigates a tightrope walk toward love. And on a trip to a Texas water park with their son, two fathers each confront a personal fear.

With sentences that crackle and spark and showcase her trademark wit, McCracken traces how our closely held desires—for intimacy, atonement, comfort—bloom and wither against the indifferent passing of time. Her characters embark on journeys that leave them indelibly changed—and so do her readers. The Souvenir Museum showcases the talents of one of our finest contemporary writers as she tenderly takes the pulse of our collective and individual lives.

TL;DR Review

The Souvenir Museum is a collection of solid stories. Unfortunately, not many of them grabbed me, but I did like the fact that many of the stories were linked.

For you if: You like linked short stories.

Full Review

I read The Souvenir Museum because it was longlisted for the 2021 National Book Award. I love that they always have some short story collections on the list, and I was excited to read this one.

I ended up with mixed feelings. On the one hand, each story is well written, and they deal with solid, relatable themes, like love and the absurdity of life. The characters were well developed. Many of the stories are also connected to one another, which I always think is fun and creative. But on the other hand, not many of them really grabbed me. I was sort of meh on the collection overall. Maybe I was just not in the right headspace, but I’m not surprised that it didn’t make the shortlist. Regardless, though, I’m always grateful for the chance to read well-plotted short stories, so I’m glad I read it.