Museum-making is about sorting often quite ordinary objects to make meaningful patterns out of the muddle and confusion of the universe; thoughtful, beautiful patterns that have something to say. Museums are where we go to make sense of the world and the pasts that have gone. And what we do in museums we also do with our own histories.

Rachel Morris, a creator of museum exhibits by profession, seeks to make sense of her own past in this thought-provoking book. Going through old boxes of family keepsakes, Morris tells the story of her eccentric family through the objects that have survived them. This unique memoir also delves into the history, meaning, and value of museums (both specific ones and in general), offering a fascinating meditation on memory, identity, and storytelling. (CH)