The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

Gabrielle Zevin

Thorndike Press, 2014 - Fiction - 320 pages

A New York Times Bestseller, a #1 Indie Next Pick, and a #1 LibraryReads Selection 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 ChildA. J. Fikry, the irascible owner of Island Books, has recently endured some tough years: his wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and his prized possession--a rare edition of Poe poems--has been stolen. Over time, he has given up on people, and even the books in his store, instead of offering solace, are yet another reminder of a world that is changing too rapidly. Until a most unexpected occurrence gives him the chance to make his life over and see things anew. Gabrielle Zevin s enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books--an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love. Readers who delighted in Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Rachel Joyce s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Jessica Brockmole s Letters from Skye will be equally captivated by this adult novel by a popular YA author about a life of books, redemption, and second chances. Funny, tender, and moving. Library Journal, starred review Wade into summer reading with this sweet yet soulful tale of love, loss, the power of friendship--and books. Like sunshine on a breezy spring day, you won t want it to end. Family Circle Zevin perfectly captures the joy of connecting people and books . . . Filled with interesting characters, a deep knowledge of bookselling, wonderful critiques of classic titles, and very funny depictions of book clubs and author events, this will prove irresistible to book lovers everywhere. Booklist Zevin is a deft writer, clever and witty. Publishers Weekly 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

About the author

Gabrielle Zevin was born in New York City on October 24, 1977. She received a degree in English and American literature from Harvard University in 2000. She has written both adult and young adult novels. Her debut, Margarettown, was a selection of the Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers program. Her other works include The Hole We're In, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, and The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry. Her young adult novel Elsewhere was an American Library Association Notable Children's Book. She has also written for the New York Times Book Review and NPR's All Things Considered. She is the screenwriter of Conversations with Other Women starring Helena Bonham Carter and Aaron Eckhart, for which she received an Independent Spirit Award Nomination. In 2009, she and director Hans Canosa adapted her novel Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac into the Japanese film, Dareka ga Watashi ni Kiss wo Shita.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry; Thorndike Press Large Print Basic
• Author: Gabrielle Zevin
• Edition: large print
• Publisher: Thorndike Press, 2014
• ISBN: 1594138419, 9781594138416
• Length: 320 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / General