Storied Life Of A.J. Fikry - Gabrielle Zevin

Fiction

Rating: 8.5/10

A charming gem of a story that observes a cranky bookseller and how his life is transformed when an unexpected package shows up at his shop.

A.J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be.  His beloved wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history and his rare and valuable collection of Poe poems has been stolen.

Suddenly he finds himself awash with love for the new lady in his life.  Which gets in the way of his plan to drink himself to death and drive his business to ruin.  And that one love unleashes fondness for neighbours, kindness to strangers and deeply formed friendships.

A witty and wonderful novel with lovely characters that never falls victim to cliches or tropes. A short read that packs an emotional punch.

Footnote: A principle that A.J. lives by is that you can glean everything you need to know about a person from the answer to the question, what is your favourite book?  Agreed!