The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry - Softcover

Zevin, Gabrielle

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0143191276 ISBN 13: 9780143191278

Publisher: Penguin Canada, 2014

Synopsis

 An irresistible novel about second chances and finding room for all the books—and all the love—that transforms our lives

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 Chief Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward him; from Ismay, his sister-in-law, who is hell-bent on saving A.J. from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who persists in taking the ferry 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, he 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, though large in weight—an unexpected arrival that gives A.J. 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., for the determined sales rep Amelia to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light, 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.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

We are not quite novels.
We are not quite short stories.
In the end, we are collected works.

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 Chief Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward him; from Ismay, his sister-in-law, who is hell-bent on saving A.J. from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who persists in taking the ferry 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, he 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, though large in weight--an unexpected arrival that gives A.J. 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., for the determined sales rep Amelia to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light, 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.

From the Back Cover:

A faded sign hangs above the porch of the Victorian cottage that is home to Island Books. It bears the adage

"NO MAN IS AN ISLAND; EVERY BOOK IS A WORLD."

A. J. Fikry, the bookstore’s irascible owner, is about to discover what that means.

“The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry reminds us of what saves us all from a life of loneliness and isolation: our sense of empathy; our ability to love and be loved; our willingness to care and be cared for.” ―Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“A breezy, big-hearted treat, especially if you’ve ever wondered about the inner workings of America’s national treasures―neighborhood bookstores.” ―Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins

“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

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Canada
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0143191276
• ISBN 13: 9780143191278
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272