Tags
abandoned children, booksellers, bookselling, bookstores, Maine, man-women relationships, Waterville, widower
The calm and quiet life of A. J. Fikry, a curmudgeonly widower living on an island off the coast of New England, is dramatically transformed when an orphan child is left in his bookstore.
In addition to a sweet and charming story about the love of reading, the reader will come away with a new list of books to read. Zevin uses an unusual device to introduce new characters in her novel. Rather than describing people by their physical characteristics, she describes characters in terms of what they read and their personal reading experiences. Which three books would define your character?
“The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry reminds us 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. Gabrielle Zevin has written 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
“In this sweet, uplifting homage to bookstores, 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
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