THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY

Rigid, snobbish A.J. Fikry consoles himself in his island bookstore knowing he has a priceless early Poe and enough wine to obliterate another long night. Scott Brick delivers Fikry’s disdainful attitude in dialogues and laces his inner monologue with sarcasm. But Brick’s dramatization doesn’t render the main character a complete curmudgeon. He gives glimmers of Fikry’s vulnerability, allowing listeners to see his love of literature and know the residual heartache he suffers from having recently lost his wife. Listeners are prepared, then happily surprised, when Fikry adopts a toddler who’s been abandoned in his shop because the mother wants the bright child raised among books. Not only does Brick illuminate plot subtleties, he also honors the author’s passion for books, bookstores, wordplay, and the connections between love and literature. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2014]