Is Alice Island a Real Place? The World of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry Explained

The Storied Life of A-compressed

The world of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is both familiar and magical—drawing readers into the story of a bookstore owner who loses his wife and whose life changes in strange ways. The movie takes us on an emotional and hopeful journey through stolen rare books, abandoned children, heartbreak and new love. Many people are deeply moved by A.J. Fikry’s story, but they have one question: is Alice Island, the cozy coastal setting of this story, a real place? Let’s find out what’s really going on in The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry’s made-up world.

The story behind A.J. Fikry’s interesting life

The American comedy-drama film The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry came out in 2022. It was based on Gabrielle Zevin‘s popular book of the same name. Hans Canosa directed the movie, which has a great cast, including Kunal Nayyar as the title character A.J. Fikry, Lucy Hale, Christina Hendricks, David Arquette, and Scott Foley. The story is about A.J., a bookstore owner on Alice Island who has lost his wife and lives alone. His life goes downhill after someone steals his rare copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s Tamerlane. But fate steps in when A.J. finds Maya, a two-year-old girl, left alone in his bookstore. To adopt Maya, A.J. gets help from friends like Officer Lambiase and his sister-in-law Ismay. This starts a journey of healing, love and rediscovery.

As the years go by, A.J. develops a close relationship with Amelia Loman, a sales rep who becomes his friend and eventually his wife. Even though there are some touching parts, the story is mostly sad, from Daniel’s death to Ismay’s and A.J.’s own battle with cancer. It’s all set against the background of ‘Alice Island’ in a story about love; loss and the power of books to last.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry: Is Tamerlane a Real Book?

Is Alice Island Real Place?

 

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No, Alice Island is not a real place. Gabrielle Zevin made it up as a story meant to capture the idyllic charm of a small coastal town. In the book, Alice Island is said to be close to Boston, Massachusetts, and can be reached by ferry from Cape Cod‘s Hyannis village. This made-up island comes to life in Zevin’s writing, making it seem like a place we’ve all been to in our dreams.

Bringing Alice Island to the Screen

 

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When making The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry into a movie, director Hans Canosa had to make Zevin’s made-up world seem real. The city of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was chosen to represent Alice Island after a long search. Canosa—who grew up in Massachusetts, used what he knew about the area to find places that fit the book’s mood, which was both whimsical and realistic.

Twenty days of filming took place in November 2021 and famous places on Cape Cod were changed to fit the plot. This busy village on the Cape became the center of Alice Island. With some changes, the Hyannis Public Library became the island’s police station. Sea Street Beach and Main Street were turned into beautiful places where the characters lived their daily lives. In a very important way, Parnassus Book Service in Yarmouth Port was used to play A.J.’s bookstore, perfectly capturing the story’s cozy, book-filled charm.

The Link to Literature

Zevin’s deep knowledge of Massachusetts was a big part of how Alice Island turned out. Since she went to Harvard, she was inspired by the area’s coastal views, ferry rides and cute towns. Zevin told The New York Times that she liked Cape Cod as a setting, stating, “With its many bookstores, interestingly named roads, and distinctive coastal landscapes, [Cape Cod] is perfectly cast in the role of Alice Island.” I can’t think of a better place to be.

Fans may be let down when they learn that Alice Island doesn’t exist, but Cape Cod’s beautiful scenery is a great replacement. The popular British Beer Company was turned into a place where characters could meet up, and the Lighthouse Inn in West Dennis was changed into a made-up wedding venue. Over the course of the story’s 15 years, the seasons change, but the filmmakers used special effects to keep the island’s beauty.

Why Alice Island Feels Real

The magic of Alice Island is that it’s easy to understand. Zevin made a world that has all the beauty and quirks of real coastal towns. People who read or watch the show feel like they are at home on Alice Island, from the ferry rides to the close-knit community. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows each other’s names and the bookstore is a place where people can meet and get better.

The fact that Alice Island is set in real places like Cape Cod makes the movie even more believable. There is a clear link between fiction and reality, as shown by the use of well-known landmarks and real-life details. With such careful attention to detail, Alice Island feels like a place we could visit, even if it’s only in our minds and hearts.

The Cultural Significance of Alice Island

 

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In addition to being a beautiful place, Alice Island is a metaphor for the story’s themes of change and belonging. At the start of the story, A.J. Fikry is a bitter and lonely man, but the people on the island help him heal and rediscover his humanity. The bookstore is an important part of Alice Island’s identity, and it becomes a safe place for everyone who comes in, not just A.J. People share their stories, make new friends, and their lives are changed there.

Reading books can take us to other worlds while also keeping us grounded in our own. In many ways, Alice Island is like that. Just like A.J. finds comfort in the stories he reads and sells, viewers are welcome to get lost in Alice Island, a world that is both made up and very real.

Visiting Alice Island—Through Cape Cod

Even though Zevin may have made up Alice Island, movie fans can still get a sense of what the movie is about by going to Cape Cod. Cape Cod gives you a look into the world of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, from the cute streets of Hyannis to the cozy corners of Parnassus Book Service in Yarmouth Port. You can feel Alice Island’s magic everywhere you go, from its beautiful beaches to its historic sites to its cute bookstores.