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

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

BUY THE BOOK

Published Dec 2, 2014

288 pages

Average rating: 7.66

818 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 just romance. They agree it's a warm...

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
Apricot Wheats
Nov 27, 2025
Not sure if this is when I read this book as I just found it at Mote Croft and realised I never logged it. I seem to remember enjoying it!
hideTurtle
Nov 20, 2025
9/10 stars
“We are not quite novels… We are not quite short stories… In the end, we are collected works.” Okay, so this may be a bit on the cheesy, sappy, Hallmark movie side, but I loved it. Being that I'm not a huge fan of the romance genre, I appreciated the added dimension outside of that. The point was to witness A.J.'s journey from heartbreak and hopelessness to forming new and important relationships (including the romantic variety) as well as repairing old ones. The story is not about romantic love specifically; it is about love in general. And besides, who doesn't love a book about books, the people who love them, and the people who love those people?
Jilian Levinson
Nov 14, 2025
Robin's pick!

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