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Book Review By Berzins
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson

This is the story of Ruby Lennox from the time of her conception in 1951 to 1992. She is the third daughter of a working class couple living in York, England. The novel traces the major events in her life, with emphasis on her childhood and teen years. This is a coming of age story, and the major theme of this novel is the relationship Ruby has with her mother, and how she comes to accept the nature of this relationship. A secondary theme is the patterns of behavior that are repeated from one generation to the next. There is a secondary story line which traces major events in the lives of Ruby's ancestors from pre-WW1 working class England to present day.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book? - humorous
Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's
Family, struggle with Yes
Struggle with: - Mother (or standin)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - a kid
Ethnicity/Nationality

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status:
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 ()
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee

Writing Style
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only
Amount of dialog - little dialog
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