"THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY," by Gabrielle Zevin, Algonquin Paperbacks, $14.95, 258 pages (f)
Life hasn’t been going so well for the title character in “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.” After the death of his pregnant wife, the already reclusive A.J. Fikry pulls deeper into himself and his bookstore on remote Alice Island.
Although lonely and depressed, Fikry counts on the one thing he has in his favor: his most treasured item, a rare collection of poems by Edgar Allan Poe. His plan is to eventually sell the volume and retire in luxury. In the meantime, however, Fikry is rude to the few customers who frequent his shop, and he habitually drinks himself to sleep.
One night, Fikry’s treasured book is stolen while he is in an alcoholic stupor. Reeling over its loss, he becomes the recipient of a gift left by a suicidal woman — a young toddler. As he goes through a steep parental learning curve, he realizes that being wealthy all by himself is nowhere near as rewarding as being a father who struggles to make ends meet.
Opening his heart to a daughter is only the beginning of changes in Fikry’s life. The bookstore becomes a pivotal part of the small community, and its owner develops friendships with people he had formerly discounted. A new love enters his life, and the mystery of the stolen Poe book is solved. In the process, Fikry becomes a man worth loving and saving.
Gabrielle Zevin transports readers to the small-town life of Alice Island and into the head of the city’s most cantankerous bookstore owner. She makes it easy to feel both empathy and frustration toward Fikry as he bumbles his way through all the surprises middle age has in store for him. Her seamless writing is a joy to read, and readers will long remember the characters found in “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry,” recently released in paperback.
A charming story, “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” doesn't have any violence but does include several instances of hard profanity, a few sexual innuendos and brief sex scenes that are coarse but not detailed.
Zevin is a graduate of Harvard University and lives in Los Angeles.
If you go ...
What: Gabrielle Zevin book signing
When: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m.
Where: The King's English, 1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City
Web: kingsenglish.com, gabriellezevin.com
Note: Places in the signing line are reserved for those who buy a copy of the featured book from The King's English.
Elizabeth Reid has bachelor's degrees in economics and history. She has worked in retail, medical billing, catering, education and business. Her favorite occupation is that of wife and mother. She blogs at agoodreid.blogspot.com.