The importance of independent bookshops in the Shenandoah Valley
"Bookshops are dreams built of wood and paper. They are time travel and escape and knowledge and power. They are, simply put, the best of places." Evan Friss
With his book The Bookshop - The History of the American Bookstore, Evan Friss, a history professor at JMU, has made national waves. Not least because it hits a nerve that many of us bibliophiles feel strongly about: The importance of independent bookshops.
The New Yorker featured The Bookshop in their section “The Best Books We Read All Week.”
The Wall Street Journal calls it “an engaging history of the American bookstore.”
The Washington Post describes the book as a "love letter to bookstores," highlighting its engaging storytelling and its exploration of the cultural significance of these spaces.
Publishers Weekly commended Friss for his "lively narrative" and his ability to "bring to life the personalities of the booksellers who have shaped the industry."
And People Magazine said, “Fascinating. . . . A heartfelt, essential love letter to the literary sanctuary of bookstores and the people who run them.”
Friss has become a New York Times bestselling author.
On October 1, 2024, Staunton Books and Tea invites you to meet the author for a conversation about the book, followed by a panel discussion with independent bookshop owners from the Shenandoah Valley.
While no bookshop in the Valley is like the other, they do have one thing in common: They have created space for community. From story times to book clubs and author talks, independent bookshops in our area do more than sell books.
Meet the Bookshop Owners
Julia Sabin is the owner of Staunton Books & Tea. “Our small space allows us to highlight what truly matters: a curated selection of books aimed at an intellectual and academic audience. Our collection, chosen by our knowledgeable staff and vibrant community, focuses on nonfiction genres along with thought-provoking fiction. We do not carry children’s or young adult books, ensuring our selection remains dedicated to mature readers.” Julia and her husband started out with used books in 2015 - a model that has evolved into two separate businesses: Her husband manages the used bookshop, turning it into an explorers' cave named Poe's Place, while Julia poured her energy into a new storefront named Staunton Books & Tea, that opened its door in March 2024.
Amanda Friss is the proud owner of Parentheses Books in Harrisonburg, a homey, light-filled space inside Liberty Street Mercantile. She explains, “I opened Parentheses in late October of 2023 after 3 years of planning. I worked in a small bookshop called Three Lives & Co. in NYC for 8 years while in my 20s. When I moved to Harrisonburg, I was surprised to find that it didn't have an indie bookshop. At the time, though, I didn't think I'd ever open one myself. But my boys got older, and I was looking for a job and I thought, ‘Wouldn't it be nice if Harrisonburg had a bookshop like Three Lives?’ I thought maybe I could make it happen, so I gave it a go!”
Mary Katharine Froehlich is the heart and soul behind Stone Soup Books, an Indie bookstore located in a rehabilitated industrial space in downtown Waynesboro. Mary shares, “Inspired by where we are and where we've been, our book specialties include the natural world, farming/homesteading, native landscaping, and spirit-filled sustainable living. Children's books, history, and great fiction also fill our bookshelves. Rooted in the place we live, we offer a wide array of local authors books on a variety of subjects. Books are in new, gently used & antiquarian editions.”
Stone Soup Books opened its doors in 2006 with a mission to connect people with each other through shared stories; not surprisingly, it was named for a classic folk tale that speaks to building community. Mary elaborates, “We share stories of our local authors through book sales, special events, writing workshops, and book shepherding. Our Rescued Book program helps provide books to local school children, provides financial support to libraries and other nonprofits, and makes curated carts of books available to our community at all times. By hosting events and book talks, we share the work of local nonprofits and authors with a larger community from Plant Grateful, Riverside Chats @ Riverfest, WMRA Books & Brews to Think Paws-itive, & Cat Tales shelter adoption days.”
Chelsea Powers and Flannery Buchanan initially started out with individual side hustles - Bluebird Book Stop and Fancy & Nell - that quickly merged into a shared retail space in the heart of Crozet: Bluebird & Co. is a bustling business that cultivates community, builds captivating libraries, and curates beautiful wardrobes. Chelsea explains, “Our paths crossed through the local small business network and we quickly realized we were kindred spirits with big dreams. When the little blue house in the heart of Crozet became available, we knew we had to take a leap of faith, together.” Flannery adds, “While delighting our customers with unique finds is a primary goal, our mission remains constant - to create a welcoming, community driven space that empowers individuals in every stage of their journey.”
What they’re reading
If these bookshop owners know one thing, it’s books! So we asked all panelists to share with us the three books they’re most excited about as we head into fall:
Julia Sabin, Staunton Books & Tea
The Bookshop by Evan Friss - the cozy reading with a vivid description of the bookseller's world.
The Japanese Art of Living Seasonally by Natalie Leon - great input to get prepared for the fall.
And, as Russian is my native language, I recommend short stories by one of my favorite Russian novelists - The Body of the Soul: Stories by Ludmila Ulitskaya (I've read them in Russian, but I am sure that translation by Pevear and Volkonsky is great, as usual).
Amanda Friss, Parentheses Books, Harrisonburg
The Bookshop by Evan Friss, of course.
I also really enjoyed Any Person is the Only Self by Eliza Gabbert.
And I haven't read it yet, but am very much looking forward to reading We Solve Murders by Richard Osman.
Mary Katharine Froehlich, Stone Soup Books, Waynesboro
How to Forage for Wild Foods without Dying by Ellen Zachos (review in edible Blue Ridge)
Gaslight, The Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Fight for America's Energy Future by Jonathon Mingle
Local author HM DuVal's Unnatural, Book 1 in the Dreamwalker Series
Chelsea Powers, Bluebird & Co., Crozet
Red Clay Suzie by Jeffrey Dale Lofton
Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
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