Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.Ī. 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. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.In the spirit of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Gabrielle Zevin’s enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books-and booksellers-that changes our lives by giving us the stories that open our hearts and enlighten our minds. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A.J.

Or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming. 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. the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It’s a small package, though large in weight-an unexpected arrival that gives A.J. Then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. These days, he can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him.

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. 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. 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.

An irresistible novel about second chances and finding room for all the books-and all the love-that transforms our livesĪ.J.

The storied life of aj fikry a novel