**Thank you Algonquin and Netgalley for providing this in exchange for an honest review**
A.J. is the owner of small bookstore, Island Books. In the year and a half since his wife died, he has been slowly destroying his life with a mixture of alcohol and a constant diet of frozen foods. Due to a health issue he has had his entire life, A.J. goes to see his doctor. During this visit, A.J.'s obvious depression shows. The doctor recommends exercise. A.J. used to run during his school days, so he figures why not give it a go. Upon returning to the bookstore after one of these runs, he discovers a toddler has been abandoned in his store. A.J. decides he can not allow this beautiful, little girl to enter the Foster care system. A.J. is probably the least qualified person on the island to raise a child. He is always cranky, snobbish, and still grieving the loss of his wife. This little girl, Maya, will change the lives of A.J. and the residents of Alice in ways that no one could ever imagine.
I really, really enjoyed this. Before I picked this up, I went through a two week reading slump. I must have picked up and put down no less then 20 titles. This sucked me in from the first few pages. This isn't a deep book, but it is one of the most enjoyable I've read this year. I wish more authors wrote characters the way Zevin does. This is more character than plot driven. Even though I enjoy character driven books, I do feel most of them drag here and there. It isn't uncommon for me to skim small sections with this type of book. That wasn't the case here. I found myself reading this as slow as I possibly could to make it last longer.
I highly recommend this book
A.J. is the owner of small bookstore, Island Books. In the year and a half since his wife died, he has been slowly destroying his life with a mixture of alcohol and a constant diet of frozen foods. Due to a health issue he has had his entire life, A.J. goes to see his doctor. During this visit, A.J.'s obvious depression shows. The doctor recommends exercise. A.J. used to run during his school days, so he figures why not give it a go. Upon returning to the bookstore after one of these runs, he discovers a toddler has been abandoned in his store. A.J. decides he can not allow this beautiful, little girl to enter the Foster care system. A.J. is probably the least qualified person on the island to raise a child. He is always cranky, snobbish, and still grieving the loss of his wife. This little girl, Maya, will change the lives of A.J. and the residents of Alice in ways that no one could ever imagine.
I really, really enjoyed this. Before I picked this up, I went through a two week reading slump. I must have picked up and put down no less then 20 titles. This sucked me in from the first few pages. This isn't a deep book, but it is one of the most enjoyable I've read this year. I wish more authors wrote characters the way Zevin does. This is more character than plot driven. Even though I enjoy character driven books, I do feel most of them drag here and there. It isn't uncommon for me to skim small sections with this type of book. That wasn't the case here. I found myself reading this as slow as I possibly could to make it last longer.
I highly recommend this book
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