I love books that explore the relationships we have with our parents (especially because those bonds can often be super complicated). It can be comforting to know that we’re not the only ones who experience that messiness. “The Museum of Failures” by Thrity Umrigar follows Remy Wadia as he tries to reconnect with his mother – a woman who filled his childhood with sadness and disappointment. The novel opens with Remy back in his home country of India (years after he’s immigrated to the US). Initially, he’s made the trip in order to adopt a baby but ends up working on his relationship with his mother instead.

I’ve read one other book by Umrigar (“The World We Found”), so I do know that she’s a strong writer, particularly when it comes to how she describes the human experience. However, there were some serious issues with pacing in this novel. I didn’t feel any urgency to the plot until about 70 percent into it. There were definitely some parts that dragged for me. On the other hand, these characters easily came to life and even though the reader doesn’t know their complete backstories right off the bat, you can feel their beating hearts.

When you just condense this book down to its story, the plot is a remarkable one. There’s heartache, drama, love, and loss. But Umrigar does meander a bit too much with side stories and secondary characters, so I felt disconnected from the story at times. I would still check out her other novels but the slowness of this one did detract from my overall appreciation of the novel.

4 stars

*Free ARC provided by Netgalley and Algonquin Books in exchange for an honest review*