The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry: by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

by Gabrielle Zevin

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING CHRISTINA HENDRICKS AND DAVID ARQUETTE

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

'Marvelously optimistic about the future of books and bookstores and the people who love both' Washington Post

A.J. Fikry, the grumpy owner of Island Books, is going through a hard time: his bookshop is failing, he has lost his beloved wife, and his prized possession - a rare first edition book has been stolen. Over time, he has given up on people, and even the books in his store, instead of offering solace, are yet another reminder of a world that is changing too rapidly.

But one day A.J. finds two-year-old Maya sitting on the bookshop floor, with a note attached to her asking the owner to look after her. His life - and Maya's - is changed forever.

Gabrielle Zevin's enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books - an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

'Readers who delighted in Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Rachel Joyce's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Jessica Brockmole's Letters from Skye will be equally captivated by this adult novel by a popular YA author about a life of books, redemption, and second chances. Funny, tender, and moving' Library Journal, starred review

'This novel has humor, romance, a touch of suspense, but most of all love - love of books and bookish people and, really, all of humanity in its imperfect glory' Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child

• ISBN10: 034914107X
• ISBN13: 9780349141077
• Publish Date: 23 April 2015
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 30 November 2023
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Abacus
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Bianca]

2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge
17. A book about a hobby

The words you can’t find, you borrow. We read to know we’re not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone.

— A lovely and moving book about a grumpy bookseller and the lives changed by his bookstore. So full of heart! For lovers of books, stories, and words 😩❤️

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

I first heard The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin at work when my colleagues were discussing reading the US edition. I thought it sounded amazing, so when I was offered a chance to review it, I jumped at the chance. And I'm so pleased to say it's an absolutely incredible book!

A.J. Fikry owns and runs Island Books, a small indie bookstore on Alice Island. His wife died a year and a half ago, and he's all but given up. He's curmudgeonly and has no patience for anyone. The only bright spark in his life is that he owns a very rare first edition of Tamerlane by Poe, which he plans to sell so he can retire early. One night it's stolen, and he's left with nothing. Except for Maya, a little girl who is abandoned in his store by her mother. Their lives are about to change drastically.

My description above barely covers the story, but to say any more would be to ruin how wonderful it is to discover the story yourself. The characters are individual and quirky, the plot is charming, and the narrative is amusing. As A.J. runs a bookstore, various books are mentioned throughout, and there is such love and enthusiasm for reading and the written word, it's fantastic. A book that talks about and understands this passion I have!

The novel is told in third person, mostly from A.J.'s point of view, but it does jump between the characters. A.J. is such a great character, and seeing how he changes throughout the story is just wonderful. He is so past caring about pretty much anything at the beginning after losing his wife, and the theft of his rare copy of Tamerlane is the final straw. But when Maya comes into his life, everything changes. He's pulled out of the dark hole he's in by her small little hand, and is remembers what joy and love are. Maya is the cutest little girl, and so precocious. Even though she's unable to string together full sentences, she understands enough to get across how she feels and what she wants, and she's just adorable! Chief Lambiase and Amelia are two of the other prominent characters in the story, and I love them both too!

One of my favourite aspects of the novel is how amusing it is. Even when tragic, Zevin writes the story with a comical tone, so nothing is too sad, and there's always something to make you smile. This isn't as awful as it sounds; it's not Zevin making light of or laughing at the characters' misfortunes, but more the ability of the characters to make themselves the butt of a joke, to laugh at themselves. It's not depressing, but charming and poignant. There are ups as well as downs, though, and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is quite an amusing story, as well as beautiful.

With a story set around a love of reading, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is an amusing and beautiful novel for book lovers everywhere. If you read, you must read this book!

Thank you to Abacus for sending me the proof.