The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry Free Audiobook Download by Gabrielle Zevin

After the death of his wife, A. J. Fikry moved to his childhood home to live with his family. As he spends more time in his childhood home and rebuilds and enhances it, he begins to store memories away in journals and old photos of himself and his wife as a young couple. Reminiscing about their days together made him feel close to her again, so much so that he started sending emails to friends telling them what it was like living with her and hoping that maybe they could help him remember more; reminisces from their past always make him happy.

The narrator of this book is an average man with a big heart and a big soul who embodies the word "gentleman" and goes through an amazing transformation through the course of this story. The story details his life from his childhood in a small town to his later life when he decides to take on the role as owner of Fikry's, a bookstore that he has inherited from his father.

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is a novel about a man who had lost his wife and was trying to make sense of the world. In this short audiobook, A.J. Fikry is a charming narrator who slowly learns that he needs to live with the past in order to move on and be happy again. Every chapter brings new life lessons and insights as he tries to figure out how he can make amends with those past mistakes, while also finding peace in his personal relationships with friends and family members.

Of the audiobooks I've listened to, this one is my favorite so far. Brick's voice is perfect for the tone of the piece as he narrates A. J.'s experiences with his wife, daughter and bookstore over the course of 5 years. He has a way of making you feel like you're living through these moments alongside him that makes this book a must-listen if you enjoy old-school literature or even just a good story in general (heck, some might argue it's a must-read).

What if you were given the chance to live a life filled with love, charm, and joy? That's the life that A. J. Fikry has lived. Despite the fact that his wife has just died, he is able to maintain an optimistic attitude about everyone around him and see the beauty in their misfortune.