Little Museum of Hope hits the virtual shelves today and if you’ve pre-ordered (thank you!), it should have already landed on your e-reader. It’s published by Joffe Books, who recently took over the original publisher, Ruby Fiction. Joffe (rhymes with coffee) is the UK’s largest independent fiction publisher by title count.

How will I be spending today? The budget won’t stretch to lunch and champagne in a swanky London hotel but there was a celebratory meal last night at my house with a couple of friends – and wine. Today I’m working my usual Tuesday shift in the library – which is at least a bookish environment!

While I shelve books and help customers, let’s talk about some of the unusual objects which make their way onto the shelves of the Little Museum of Hope:

Maxine brings a teddy bear which she and her boyfriend chose when Maxine fell pregnant as a teenager. Parental intervention meant the teddy never got played with.

Polly donates a pair of men’s slippers because she wants her husband to be remembered as he was, in the prime of his life, not as a dementia sufferer with the demands of a toddler.

Local news reporter, Tim, brings a jar of Glastonbury mud. The festival atmosphere, alcohol and freedom made him think he was in love. But afterwards the ‘love’ disintegrated into dust.

More About Little Museum of Hope
A jar of festival mud, a photo album of family memories, a child’s teddy bear, a book of bell ringing methods, an old cassette tape, a pair of slippers …
These are the items that fill the exhibit shelves in Vanessa Jones’ museum. At first glance, they appear to have nothing in common, but that’s before you find out the stories behind them. Vanessa’s Little Museum of Hope is no ordinary museum – its aim is to help people heal by donating items associated with shattered lives and failed relationships, and in doing so, find a way to move on, perhaps even start again. The museum becomes a sanctuary for the broken hearts in Vanessa’s city, and she’s always on hand to offer a cup of tea, a slice of cake and a listening ear. But could the bringer of Hope need a little help moving on herself?

Little Museum of Hope is available from Amazon now and the audiobook will be out at the end of May (don’t worry, I’ll remind you!)

What the advance reviews say:

‘This novel has, much like the museum opened by its main character, something special that’s bound to intrigue.‘ Isabelle D.

‘Fascinating, often emotional, addictive reading. Recommended.‘ Coco.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, someone wants help filling in a form to join the library. Maybe I’ll get the champagne lunch with the next book …