Wendy Welch

Chronicles the efforts of the author and her husband to open and run a small bookstore in a struggling Virginia coal mining community, a pursuit challenged by the difficult economic environment, widespread transitions away from hard-copy books and numerous eccentric patrons. 30,000 first printing.

A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book

The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap

Melissa Palmer

Book #64 Read in 2013
The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch

This is a great non-fiction read. It tells the story of Jack and Wendy, a married, artsy couple, who decide to open up a used bookstore in Big Stone Gap, an Appalachian coal town. The book honestly details the struggles of opening the bookstore, keeping it afloat, building a customer base and being allowed into the inner circles of the town. The writing style is great in that the book reads like fiction and the townspeople/characters are vividly described in wonderful detail. They are quite the crew. I very much enjoyed this book.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

An inspiring true story about losing your place, finding your purpose, and building a community one book at a time. Wendy Welch and her husband had always dreamed of owning a bookstore, so when they left their high-octane jobs for a simpler life in an Appalachian coal town, they seized an unexpected opportunity to pursue thier dream. The only problems? A declining U.S. economy, a small town with no industry, and the advent of the e-book. They also had no idea how to run a bookstore. Against all odds, but with optimism, the help of their Virginian mountain community, and an abiding love for books, they succeeded in establishing more than a thriving business - they built a community. The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap is the little bookstore that could: how two people, two cats, two dogs, and thirty-eight thousand books helped a small town find its heart. It is a story about people and books, and how together they create community.

The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book

Reviews