Explore the real-world places that appear in The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include The Island Bookstore, A.J. Fikry's Cottage, Harborfront & Beach, Island Café, Aimee's Family Home and 9 more.
Main Street, Alice — A.J. Fikry's life's work
The Island Bookstore is the heart of the novel and A.J. Fikry's consuming passion. A.J., a curmudgeonly, brilliant book lover, has owned this independent bookstore for decades, surrounding himself with carefully curated literature and rare first editions. It's where he meets his wife Aimee Dickerson, where he grieves his losses, and where his daughter Maya eventually discovers her father's legacy. The store serves as refuge for various characters seeking shelter, wisdom, or human connection.
The novel is set on Prince Edward Island, which has a rich literary tradition as the home of Lucy Maud Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables. Small independent bookstores like this represent the endangered ecosystem of local, author-driven businesses that have gradually disappeared across North America since the 1990s.
The Island Bookstore is a fictional establishment, but it represents the real independent bookstores that continue to operate on Prince Edward Island and throughout Canada. The character and spirit of A.J.'s store reflects the values of community-focused bookselling that persist in places like Independent Bookstores PEI.
Seaside — A.J.'s home and sanctuary
A.J.'s modest seaside cottage is where he lives alone for much of the novel, surrounded by his book collection and memories. He brings Aimee here after they marry, and they raise their daughter Amelia on the island. The cottage witnesses A.J.'s deepest griefs — the death of his son Dickinson, his estrangement from Aimee, and ultimately his own death. It's a space of both isolation and profound love.
Prince Edward Island's coastline is characterized by red cliffs, beaches, and modest homes that have housed generations of islanders and summer residents. The island's maritime tradition and literary heritage made it an ideal setting for a novel about books, loss, and legacy.
The cottage is fictional, but the coastal areas of Alice and surrounding Prince Edward Island communities feature similar modest homes and cottages that have been inhabited for generations. Many remain private residences or vacation rentals.
Waterfront — Island's edge and escape
The ocean surrounding Alice serves as a constant backdrop to A.J.'s life. He walks the beaches to think, to grieve, and to reflect. The water represents both the isolation of island life and the beautiful, cruel constancy of nature. Key scenes involve A.J. contemplating life changes at the shoreline, and the island's maritime setting reinforces themes of solitude and connection.
Prince Edward Island is Canada's smallest province by area and is entirely surrounded by the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The island's maritime economy and landscape have defined its culture for centuries. The red sand beaches are distinctive and iconic to PEI's identity.
The harborfront areas of Alice and surrounding Prince Edward Island communities remain publicly accessible beaches and waterfront spaces. Many feature walking trails, picnic areas, and scenic viewpoints for tourists and locals. The beaches and waterfront are central to PEI's tourism industry.
Visit: Alice Waterfront & Beaches (park)
Main Street — Local gathering place
The Island Café serves as a community gathering spot where A.J. and other island residents congregate. Various characters meet here for coffee, conversation, and gossip. It's where small-town life unfolds and where news travels quickly. The café represents the interconnected fabric of Alice's close-knit community.
Small-town cafés have been central to Canadian and American rural communities since the early 20th century, serving as informal meeting places where community bonds are formed and maintained. They represent the heart of local commerce and social life.
Alice, Prince Edward Island, like most small communities on the island, has local cafés and coffee shops that serve residents and visitors. These establishments continue to function as community gathering spaces.
Visit: Local Cafés in Alice, PEI (restaurant)
Island Road — Aimee's childhood and roots
Aimee Dickerson grew up in a family home on the island where she still maintains connections to her past. Her family's house represents stability, warmth, and the kind of domestic comfort that initially draws her to A.J., though their marriage will be tested by loss and grief. The home provides context for understanding Aimee's character and her family's role in supporting her through life's tragedies.
Prince Edward Island's rural homesteads represent the traditional agricultural and maritime heritage of the island. Generational family homes are common fixtures in island communities, often maintained by families for decades.
The specific home is fictional, but similar family residences dot Prince Edward Island's landscape. Many remain private homes with deep family histories and connections to island communities.
Main Street area — Maya and Amelia's education
Alice Elementary School is where Maya and later Amelia attend school. The school is part of the fabric of the community and represents the small-town educational experience. Teachers and students are woven into the social network of the island, and school events are community events. Amelia's education and school life form part of the continuity of family and legacy on the island.
Small rural schools have been essential institutions in Prince Edward Island communities since the 19th century, serving as centers of education, social development, and community gathering. Many historic school buildings remain active in island communities.
Alice's schools, like rural schools across Prince Edward Island, continue to serve local students. Public schools remain important community institutions and gathering places.
Healthcare & Medical — A.J.'s final days
The island's hospital is where A.J. Fikry is taken after his heart attack and where he spends his final days. The hospital represents the intersection of mortality, love, and connection. A.J. reflects on his life, his love for Aimee, and his relationship with his children while hospitalized. Medical personnel become witnesses to the unfolding of his life's final chapter.
Healthcare facilities on Prince Edward Island have evolved over time. Rural island hospitals serve the medical needs of local populations and represent the infrastructure necessary to sustain island communities.
Prince Edward Island has multiple healthcare facilities serving the island population. The specific hospital scenes in the novel reference the real medical infrastructure that supports island residents.
Public Library — Books and community knowledge
The library serves as an alternative space for book culture and reading on the island. It complements A.J.'s bookstore as a repository of knowledge and literature. Various characters visit the library, and it represents the communal aspect of reading and learning that contrasts with A.J.'s more exclusive and curated bookstore experience.
Public libraries have been cornerstones of Canadian communities since the late 19th century, funded by public resources and dedicated to providing free access to books and information. They represent the democratic ideal of knowledge accessibility.
Prince Edward Island maintains public library systems serving island residents. Libraries continue to be vital community institutions offering books, programs, and services.
Visit: Prince Edward Island Public Libraries (library)
Harbor — Connection to mainland
The ferry represents connection and escape — the mainland is accessible but the island remains a distinct, separate world. Characters arrive by ferry or contemplate trips to the mainland. The ferry terminal is a threshold between the island's intimate, contained community and the broader world beyond. It symbolizes both isolation and possibility.
Prince Edward Island was connected to the mainland by ferry service for over a century before the Confederation Bridge opened in 1997. The ferry was essential infrastructure that defined the island's relationship with the broader Maritime region. Ferries remain iconic to island culture and identity.
While the Confederation Bridge now provides direct vehicle access to the mainland, Northumberland Strait ferry services continue to operate in Prince Edward Island. The ferries remain important tourist attractions and symbols of island culture.
Visit: Northumberland Strait Ferry Services (landmark)
Above the shop — A.J.'s residence and office
A.J. maintains an apartment above the Island Bookstore where he lives during parts of the novel. This space represents the merger of his work and personal life — the bookstore consumes his existence. The apartment is small, modest, and entirely secondary to the bookstore below. It's where he brings Aimee after they marry, and where they conceive their daughter Amelia.
The practice of shopkeepers living above their businesses was common in small towns across North America during the 20th century. It reflected economic necessity and total commitment to one's livelihood.
Similar arrangements continue in some small communities, though the practice has become less common. Many historic storefronts still feature residential spaces above commercial establishments.
Main Street — Communication and community
The post office serves as a communications hub and community gathering point. Mail delivery is essential to small-town life, and the post office represents the connection between the island and the broader world. Characters check mail, conduct business, and encounter each other at the post office. It's where parcels of books arrive and where news is distributed.
Post offices have been central institutions in Canadian communities since Confederation. They serve as official government facilities and informal community meeting places. Rural post offices are especially vital to remote communities.
Canada Post maintains post offices throughout Prince Edward Island, including in small communities. They continue to serve both commercial and social functions in rural areas.
Visit: Canada Post Offices in Alice, PEI (landmark)
Main Street — Supplies and small-town commerce
The general store is where residents shop for everyday necessities. It serves as another informal gathering point where community news is exchanged and relationships maintained. The store represents the practical, essential commerce that keeps small communities functioning alongside A.J.'s more literary enterprise.
General stores were historically the commercial centers of rural North American communities, providing goods, supplies, and a social space before the rise of chain stores and supermarkets.
While many rural general stores have closed due to competition from larger retailers, some continue to operate on Prince Edward Island serving local populations and tourists seeking authentic community experiences.
Visit: Rural General Stores in Alice Area (landmark)
Cultural Institution — Education and creativity
The island's cultural and educational institutions represent the broader intellectual life beyond A.J.'s bookstore. They reflect the community's commitment to arts, education, and cultural preservation. These institutions parallel A.J.'s role as a guardian of literary culture and represent alternative pathways to knowledge and creative expression.
Prince Edward Island has a strong cultural heritage connected to its literary tradition and has developed institutions supporting arts education and cultural development.
Prince Edward Island maintains various cultural institutions, art centers, and educational facilities supporting local and visiting artists and students.
Visit: Island Cultural Institutions & Arts Centers (museum)
Outside Alice — Final resting place and mortality
The island cemetery represents mortality, legacy, and the permanence of death. A.J. contemplates his own mortality and visits graves of family and friends. The cemetery grounds become a meditation space where A.J. confronts loss — the death of his son Dickinson and, eventually, his own death. It's a place of quiet reflection and acceptance of life's inevitable endings.
Cemeteries on Prince Edward Island reflect the island's long history and family connections. Many date back generations and serve as repositories of family histories and community memory.
Island cemeteries remain places of quiet reflection and family pilgrimage. They are maintained as peaceful, accessible spaces for remembrance and meditation.
Visit: Island Cemeteries & Memorial Parks (historic site)
More by Gabrielle Zevin: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow locations map · All Gabrielle Zevin books