Mesmerizing and illuminating, Alice Hoffman’s The Museum of Extraordinary Things is the story of an electric and impassioned love between two vastly different souls in New York during the volatile first decades of the twentieth century.

Coralie Sardie is the daughter of the sinister impresario behind The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a Coney Island boardwalk freak show that thrills the masses. An exceptional swimmer, Coralie appears as the Mermaid in her father’s “museum,” alongside performers like the Wolfman, the Butterfly Girl, and a one-hundred-year-old turtle. One night Coralie stumbles upon a striking young man taking pictures of moonlit trees in the woods off the Hudson River.

The dashing photographer is Eddie Cohen, a Russian immigrant who has run away from his father’s Lower East Side Orthodox community and his job as a tailor’s apprentice. When Eddie photographs the devastation on the streets of New York following the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, he becomes embroiled in the suspicious mystery behind a young woman’s disappearance and ignites the heart of Coralie.

With its colorful crowds of bootleggers, heiresses, thugs, and idealists, New York itself becomes a riveting character as Hoffman weaves her trademark magic, romance, and masterful storytelling to unite Coralie and Eddie in a sizzling, tender, and moving story of young love in tumultuous times. The Museum of Extraordinary Things is Alice Hoffman at her most spellbinding.

Taking to the April meet-up of Calgary BookCrossers, so it may find a new reader!

Picked this up at the April Book Crossing meeting.

It tells the story of two separate characters Coralie and Eddie for most of the book and then how they come together, boy meets girl etc... The writer does a good job of describing the characters, the time period and the place. A lovely book.

Taking this book to the October BookCrossing meeting to be enjoyed by the next reader

I don't remember anything about this book, or even putting my name down for it. It sounds pretty interesting... I hope it's a good one.

After many "reminders" that BookyMcBooks heard good things about this book and wanted to read it next, I finished it in the course of the last few days. It wasn't the easiest book to get absorbed in, its so artistically written, but within a few chapters, the point of view switches and the writing style changes became a part of the story and I'd find myself looking for each switch, enjoying learning the background for each character and their motivations.

As I learnt more about each of them, their characters they became more and more intricate... Except for the professor. He became simpler and simpler.

Will be handed off to BookyMcBooks. Enjoy!

Picked this up from Crataegus

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The writing style and the setting really drew me into the this love story.

Occasionally, I thought some parts were too convenient or too coincidental, but then I would realize that it didn't really matter in this type of story. This reads like a fairy tale, and quite an enjoyable one at that.

Bringing to the Calgary March Bookcrossing meetup.

Picked up this book at the Calgary BookCrossing March meet-up. I am assured that this is a good read.

This book reminded me a little of "All the Light We Cannot See", in that there are two separate narratives being told in parallel, but I didn't enjoy the format as much in this book. The stories were slow to unfold and I didn't really get interested until the two main characters met in person towards the end. But it was interesting to see New York in this time period and I liked how the author wove in the two fires that actually happened.

Passing on this book to the next reader at the Calgary BookCrossing May meet-up.

Picked up at the May meeting!

Taking to a special meeting for a missed bookcrossing friend! Welcome home!

To the finder:
Calgary has an active group of BookCrossers that meet to swap books and discuss book crossing every second Saturday of the month at 11am at Cravings Market on Fairmount Drive SE. We always love to meet new crossers, so please join us any time you like!

Taking to the May meet up for the "Useful or Unusual books" theme!

To the finder:
Calgary has an active group of BookCrossers that meet to swap books and discuss book crossing every second Saturday of the month at 11am at Cravings Market on Fairmount Drive SE. We always love to meet new crossers, so please join us any time you like!

Brought this home from the May meat up at Cravings.

A book about human experiences, social change, lives of those who feel their lives cannot be changed, and how they move beyond that.

I will be bringing this in to the December meetup at Cravings.

What interesting times people lived in during the 1800’s. The social issues and working conditions in New York City during those times is a great setting for this story.
Coralie is the daughter of this sinister museum creator and as an exceptional swimmer ends up being a Mermaid in the museum which is a “freak show” on Coney Island. Coralie’s father capitalizes on these “freaks” misery but at the same time gives them a job.
Eddie grows up Gangster style and becomes a photographer who has turned his back on his faith and his father. He photographs the devastation effects of the Triangle Shirwaist Factory fire and becomes embroiled in a disappearance of one of these factory workers.
The book teaches a bit of actual history about the tumultuous times along with a bit of mystery.

Picked up this book at the monthly book crossing meeting at Cravings Market Restaurant

It was a bit of a slow start, but once I got into the meat of the story I couldn't put it down. Definitely a boy meets girl story, but told beautifully.

This book will be released at the monthly Book Crossing meeting at Cravings Market Restaurant in Calgary

Picked up at get together

Enjoyed this story and writing style.

Thanks for the interesting read!

This book was returned to me at the Dec 2022 meetup of Calgary BookCrossers, held at Cravings Market Restaurant.

Will be held for a future release.