The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel

Gabrielle Zevin

Apr 2014 · Sold by Algonquin Books

About this ebook

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER BY THE AUTHOR OF TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING LUCY HALE & KUNNAL NAYAR

“A fun, page-turning delight.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“Funny, tender, and moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry reminds us all exactly why we read and why we love.” —Library Journal (starred review)

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over—and see everything anew.   

“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

 “Marvelously optimistic about the future of books and bookstores and the people who love both.”—The Washington Post

“You won’t want it to end.” —Family Circle

“A natural for book groups.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch

“A reader’s paradise of the first order.” —The Buffalo News

“Captures the joy of connecting people and books . . . Irresistible.” —Booklist

“A wonderful, moving, endearing story of redemption and transformation that will sing in your heart for a very, very long time.” —Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“Readers who delighted in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,  The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Letters from Skye will be equally  captivated by this novel.” —Library Journal, starred review

Ratings and reviews

Sweet, heartfelt and interesting. Since its spana a person's lifetime it did tend to take leaps forward through time. Which didn't allow the reader to truly latch on to any one character or feel connected to the story. It leaves you with a feeling like you're trying to catch up. Spoiler alert, since it does span a person's life there is the inevitable death and funeral which was very depressing. Although there is some small pay off at the end I don't think it was worth it

A member of our book club found this gem for us to read and I look forward to many possible ways we will all see the characters, the setting, the unique style that the author chose to tell us about changes in people, in lives being lived, changes in small towns, changes in our growing older and dealing with changes outside of our control. A delightful read with substance!

A touching page-turner. Read it in its entirety on a Saturday afternoon! There were enough twists to keep me from putting it down, and I loved the author's way of marking the passage of time.

About the author

Gabrielle Zevin is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than thirty languages. Her eighth novel, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, spent more than four months on the New York Times Bestseller list, reached #1 on the National Indie Bestseller list, and has been a bestseller all around the world. The recently published Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, is also a NYT bestseller. She has also written books for children and young adults, including the award-winning Elsewhere.