The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
Gabrielle Zevin
- Publisher: Algonquin Books (April 1, 2014)
- Publication Date: April 1, 2014
- Print Length: 290 pages
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
- FTC Amazon Kindle Free
- Synopsis
- On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto "No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World." A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.
A.J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.
And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, but large in weight. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; 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; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
Review: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
I'm happy to share this book and give it 5 stars! I set a goal for 104 books this year and have a feeling this one will remain near the top of my favorites list. It's cleverly written and I love that the locale is a Northeastern bookstore. I was immediately pulled into it.
In chapter one, Amelia is 31, has a slight hangover, and is painting her nails as she travels by ferry to Alice Island. Why an island? Because, that's where you go when you're a sales representative for Knight Press -trying to sell the best possible goods to Island Books.
A.J. Fikry is the owner of Island Books and a widower at the age of 39. He plans to retire with the money he'll make from his copy of Tamerlane ( only 50 copies printed of this first published work by Edgar Alan Poe at 18 years of age and it was credited to 'A Bostonian')
The copy is stolen from A. J. so he must make other arrangements.
I absolutely love the writing! Here is an example: "You know the kind of book I'm talking about right? The kind of hotshot literary fiction that, like, follows some unimportant supporting character for a bit so it looks all faulkneresque and expansive"
I'm not surprised that Amelia introduced herself to A.J. Fikry and shortly after I read, "Amelia imagines smashing the ancient computer over his head". I fell in love with the bookstore but initially felt the same way about the jerk!
Thankfully, I had a box of tissue handy for this celebrated history of A J Fikry. There are many heartwarming scenes coupled with heartbreaking ones. In addition to the scenes, the brilliant parts of the story are paragraphs A.J is writing about books he's read and a short story written by a talented young - once abandoned-character.
This book has many things in it that speak to me. The letters provide insight into the depth of emotion A. J is feeling at the time they are written. I love that some characters names I'm familiar with, like, Lincoln Rhymes. And I get to learn a snippet from a few books I've not yet read.
I will be looking for more books by this author. I've certainly added more books to my TBR's and perhaps they will be amid my favorites too. I was blessed to read this lovely book for free from Amazon on my Kindle.
Author Gabrielle Zevin