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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Barely any
Minimal violence
Language
Barely any
Mild language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Minimal sexual content; a mature romance handled with restraint
Substance Use
Some
Alcoholism is a significant element of A
Emotional Intensity
Some
Grief over loss of a spouse and the slow work of rebuilding a life are the novel's emotional terrain
What this book is about
A.J. Fikry runs a bookstore on an island, having retreated from the world after his wife's death. When a valuable book is stolen and a baby is abandoned in his store, his life changes course. Gabrielle Zevin's novel is gentle, literary, and warm — a love letter to books, booksellers, and the way stories connect people. The short story chapters that open each section (A.J.'s favorite stories) give the novel an unusual structure. Suitable for adult readers who enjoy quiet, emotionally resonant literary fiction.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Alcoholism as character element
Grief over loss
Reader Verification
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