The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

 

By Gabrielle Zevin

 

What a charming story! It was warm, funny, sad, full of transformations and second chances.

 

The novel is based around the life of protagonist, A.J. Fikry. His wife dies, his bookstore sales are getting worse by the year and he doesn’t feel like he has much to live for.

 

After leaving the front door of his book store unlocked one night to go for a run (he doesn’t care if anything is stolen and has therefore before a regular occurrence), Finkry arrives back to discover a two year old girl, Maya, and a note sitting on his floor. They form a bond instantly, adopting her a few months later.

 

Full of ups and downs for both A.J and his daughter, this book really tugs at the heart and is hard to put down. At 272 pages, it only took me 3 days of reading it just before bed.

 

Favourite quotes:

• The things we respond to at twenty are not necessarily the same things we will respond to at forty and vice versa. This is true in books and also in life

• Sometimes books don't find us until the right time

• Someday, you may think of marrying. Pick someone who thinks you're the only person in the room

• Most people's problems would be solved if they would only give more things a chance

• The difficulty of living alone is that any mess he makes he is forced to clean up himself. No, the real difficulty of living alone is that no one cares if you are upset

• “Love you,” Maya says. “Yes, she keeps saying that,” A.J. says. “I warned her about giving love that hasn’t yet been earned, but honestly, I think it’s the influence of that insidious Elmo. He loves everyone, you know?”

• We aren’t the things we collect, acquire, read. We are, for as long as we are here, only love. The things we loved. The people we loved. And these, I think these really do live on

• And I like talking about books with people who like talking about books. I like paper. I like how it feels, and I like the feel of a book in my back pocket. I like how a new book smells too