The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

by Gabrielle Zevin

A.J. Fikry's life is not what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is failing, and his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. He is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island and from Amelia, the Knightley Press sales rep who refuses to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore that gives A.J. the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world.

Reviewed by elvinagb on

5 of 5 stars

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“No Man is an Island; Every Book is a World”
So reads the motto on the sign of Island Books. Owner A. J. Fikry, a recent widower, is the owner of Island Books on Alice Island. Slow sales, few friends and grief are taking a toll on A. J.’s enjoyment of life and love of books. After the theft of one of his prized possessions and a mysterious appearance of a small but important gift, A. J.’s life begins to change but not in a way that he would ever have expected.
Each chapter begins with a reference to a short story and becomes a sort of love letter to his daughter, Maya. We see how books, reading them and writing them can change your life and transform what you expect the future has in store for you.
This is a must read.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 19 January, 2014: Finished reading
  • 19 January, 2014: Reviewed