The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

By: Gabrielle Zevin

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

The irascible A. J. Fikry, owner of Island Books - the only bookstore on Alice Island - has already lost his wife. Now his most prized possession, a rare book, has been stolen from right under his nose in the most embarrassing of circumstances. The store itself, it seems, will be next to go.

One night upon closing, he discovers a toddler in his children’s section with a note from her mother pinned to her Elmo doll: I want Maya to grow up in a place with books and among people who care about such kinds of things. I love her very much, but I can no longer take care of her. A search for Maya’s mother, A. J.’s rare book, and good childcare advice ensues, but it doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the transformation of both bookstore and owner, something of particular interest to the lovely yet eccentric Knightley Press sales rep, Amelia Loman, who makes the arduous journey to Alice Island thrice each year to pitch her books to the cranky owner.

©2014 Gabrielle Zevin. Recorded by arrangement with Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc. (P)2014 (p) 2014 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Zevin is a deft writer, clever and witty, and her affection for the book business is obvious." ( Publishers Weekly)

A.J. Is not an Island & Other Life Lessons

At first I thought I was in for another story about a grumpy old man who grew bitter on his dreams like in Fredrick Backman’s “A Man Called Ove” I was pleasantly surprised by the events that unfolded. First, he isn’t that old; only 39. And while the story had honest loss, struggle & hope there was comedy and believable characters that made mistakes that had lasting repercussions. Like most mistakes they seem like great ideas in the moment but inevitably feeling like you have woken up in a minefield. Most days are seemingly heroic until the past catches up with you when you least expect it.
Jumping to conclusions aren’t as funny as played in Sit-coms like “Threes Company” but amusing all the same.
The driving characters were an ensemble with A.J. being our protagonist & narrator. The other narrator is the town’s police Chief Lambaise. He is a wise and lighter voice that turns out to have his own story that is one half of the pair: Fikry & Lambaise.
I really enjoyed the narrator (& author) some reviews didn’t but I got the gist from the sample and I’m not sorry I went for it anyway.
I couldn’t wait to put on this book every night before bed. This book takes a long view of personal frailty and death with a gentle and curious compassion I had not found in other contemporary works of fiction.
Great Book!

touching,warm and humorists!

The most entertaining history I have read in my life....I thruly love it from beginning to end!

Quirky and different, I loved it

Loved the characters and the story.
It makes you believe in the best in people.

Interesting entertaining

It is odd that I really enjoyed this book as not much happens. I guess the writing was that good, that I did like this book.

A comfort read

A charming story of a small community's book store and the lives it affected. Good character development.

A Hidden Gem!

Would you listen to The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry again? Why?

Probably not. Even though I really liked it, I rarely listen to books more than once. That's just me.

Any additional comments?

This book is one of those unexpected little finds. One day you're looking for a book to listen to. You don't know what you are in the mood for. You just want something. So you browse the discount $5.99 audible selections.

This book was picked out on one of those days. It must have been a lucky day. This book turned out to be a little gem in the book world. It's heartfelt and lovely. It's memorable. It took the ups and downs of life and put it into a book that will touch your heart. You will love the characters and be sad to say goodbye to them.

Masterfully Read

A simple story so well read it is heart breaking. A cross between a short story and a novel. The author has culled all extraneous words and emotion to tell a rich, insightful story about the meaning of life and the importance of books.

The Story of a Life

This is an excellent book with well-developed characters. It's one I will remember and revisit from time to time. The narration is perfect for this book. I highly recommend that you embrace this one.

Lovely and simple.....

A beautiful story with honest characters. I enjoyed it a great deal. I only wish this bookstore was in my neighborhood.

So glad I took a chance and now have a new fave!

I love this book. As I was listening to it I knew I was loving it. I also knew I was going to buy it in print so that I had it in my physical library and not just my audio library. How to sum up a book that for me was a lot of things...a book about loss, redemption, family, betrayal, love and heartache...a book about books....
Oh A.J. - I "get" you...