Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson

How would you like to trace your family tree over four generations and weave a story about the lives and forgotten loves of your ancestors? Behind the Scenes at the Museum is an engaging read told through the eyes of Ruby Lennox whose memory is capable of total recall, all the way back to the moment she was conceived! Through 300-odd pages, we find out about Ruby's great-grandmother, her children, her grandmother and about her own mother and siblings. Along the way, we witness two world wars, a coronation, several deaths, missing people, fires, bombings, mishaps, illicit affairs...the works! The narrative brims with wit and bristles with sarcasm that had me chuckling through much of the book. My only complaint is that there were far too many names to remember and I had to keep my own record which I would consult now and then in order to stay on track. But that is a minor irritant which I'm willing to overlook. The rest of the book more than makes up for it.