Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Jess is about to do the hardest thing she’s ever done: empty her childhood home so that it can be sold. As she sorts through a lifetime of memories, everything comes to a halt when she comes across something she just can’t part with: an old set of encyclopedias. To the rest of the world, the books are outdated and ready to be recycled. To Jess, they represent the future that her mother always wanted her to have. And they’re the last connection she has her mother.

In the process of finding the encyclopedia a safe home, Jess discovers an unusual archive of letters, photographs, and curious housed in a nondescript warehouse and known as the Museum of Ordinary People. Irresistibly drawn to the collection, Jess soon finds herself its unofficial custodian, along with the warehouse’s mysterious owner, Alex. As they delve into the history of the objects now in their care, they not only unravel heart-stirring stories that span generations and continents, but also unearth long-buried secrets that lie closer to home.

Inspired by a box of mementos found abandoned near a dumpster, The Museum of Ordinary People is a thought-provoking story of memory and loss, of the things we leave behind, and the future we create for ourselves.