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

By Gabrielle Zevin

Don't miss Gabrielle Zevin's new novel, Young Jane Young, coming in August 2017.

"Funny, tender, and moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry reminds us all exactly why we read and why we love."*

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

"A fun, page-turning delight." --Minneapolis Star Tribune

"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

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Published Dec 2, 2014

288 pages

Average rating: 7.62

982 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say this novel is a cozy, charming tribute to books and bookstores, celebrating love in many forms beyond romance. They agree it’s a warm, hea...

Khris Sellin
Jul 05, 2024
8/10 stars
Sweet story about a bookshop owner on the fictional Alice Island of Massachusetts.
njlbo1
Jul 18, 2023
8/10 stars
<3
pumpkinfreckles
Jun 11, 2026
10/10 stars
<3
foreveryum
May 20, 2026
6/10 stars
I picked up this booked because I really liked "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" by this same author. I also enjoyed this loveable story set in a small town book shop. The main character was my favorite: a cynical literary snob that is curmudgeonly and witty. The dialogue was clever and had me laughing, but the ending was a bummer.

My favorite quote: "He wants to laugh out loud or punch a wall. He feels drunk or at least carbonated. Insane. At first, he thinks this is happiness, but then he determines it's love. Fucking love, he thinks. What a bother. It's completely gotten in the way of his plan to drink himself to death, to drive his business to ruin. The most annoying thing about it is that once a person gives a shit about one thing, he finds he has to start giving a shit about everything.”
Meriel
May 01, 2026
6/10 stars
It was interesting to find that the author is female. She really didn't introduce me A.J. in the same way that I felt I got to know the female characters.

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