Beverly H. (GainesvilleGirl) -
Helpful Score: 1
A truly charming memoir of what life is like in a small town for world weary big town escapees, Wendy Welch and her husband Jack Beck. Wendy and Jack buy a very large old home, refurbish it, stock it, and turn an ever- expanding portion of it into a bookstore, having a threadbare budget with which to do all of this. Their trials and tribulations, as well as their joys and highs, make for a heart warming read. The bookstore/home is located in Big Stone Gap, a Virginia mountain community. A major problem was the fact that they had no idea whatsoever of how to run a business, especially a bookstore. Much of the fun in reading this book is in observing their learning process while sympathizing with the bumps in the road along the way.
Beverly H. (GainesvilleGirl) -
A truly charming memoir of what life is like in a small town for world weary big town escapees, Wendy Welch and her husband Jack Beck. Wendy and Jack buy a very large old home, refurbish it, stock it, and turn an ever- expanding portion of it into a bookstore, having a threadbare budget with which to do all of this. Their trials and tribulations, as well as their joys and highs, make for a heart warming read. The bookstore/home is located in Big Stone Gap, a Virginia mountain community. A major problem was the fact that they had no idea whatsoever of how to run a business, especially a bookstore. Much of the fun in reading this book is in observing their learning process while sympathizing with the bumps in the road along the way.
Bonnie S. (Bonnie) -
I read about this book somewhere and it looked so interesting, and it was. A couple, an older couple, wanted to settle somewhere and fulfill a dream, and one day it hit them, well, what the heck, if we don't do it now...
Thus they went way out on a limb and bought a big old house in the center of Big Stone Gap, Virginia and opened a used book store. Yes, THAT Big Stone Gap of the Adriana Trigiani's series. The Gap never had a bookstore, used or otherwise, and at last, here was one, but it was owned by folks from away. He, actually, was from Scotland. We know how all that can go, trying to get accepted in a small town when your great grandparents weren't first generation citizens, but this couple endeavored to persevere, and with lots of good ideas, and funny anecdotes, she tells us how they did it. That was the best part of the book. When she gets away from the people that make up The Gap, that made the bookstore what it became, the book gets draggy. Actually, she gets unnecessarily wordy. But those parts are worth suffering through to read about the rest, esp the veterans, and a fellow called Wee Willie. Recommended.
Thus they went way out on a limb and bought a big old house in the center of Big Stone Gap, Virginia and opened a used book store. Yes, THAT Big Stone Gap of the Adriana Trigiani's series. The Gap never had a bookstore, used or otherwise, and at last, here was one, but it was owned by folks from away. He, actually, was from Scotland. We know how all that can go, trying to get accepted in a small town when your great grandparents weren't first generation citizens, but this couple endeavored to persevere, and with lots of good ideas, and funny anecdotes, she tells us how they did it. That was the best part of the book. When she gets away from the people that make up The Gap, that made the bookstore what it became, the book gets draggy. Actually, she gets unnecessarily wordy. But those parts are worth suffering through to read about the rest, esp the veterans, and a fellow called Wee Willie. Recommended.
Susan D. (mom2nine) reviewed The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book on + 343 more book reviews
This book earned four stars instead of five for two reasons. First, the writing style was a bit wordy, the book could have probably been quite a bit shorter and for having oh so many degrees, it was nothing that made me think "what beautiful writing or what a way with words". Secondly, I think her audience may be limited. I enjoyed her story, but I am a bit of a book freak. We have book shelves in every room and still do not have enough shelf space. The ONE time that my husband and I hired a sitter (in the 12 yrs. before our oldest was the sitter) we went to a bookstore. My oldest children move out with boxes that are their collections and then many books I replace for the younger children. I love libraries and bookstores, but like the author, my favorite is the used store. We went to a book sale benefit and the people with the scanners certainly lent a different feel to the sale. I hate it when a book is thrown away. While I'm sure there is a place for the e-reader, my daughter is an over-night shift RN and enjoys her reader, I can't imagine ever using one. So, yes, I'll agree with the other reviewers. I grew tired of reading about her advanced (somewhat worthless) degrees, but I think what came off as judgmental of big box stores was just a love of the smaller, intimate, or handmade items and stores; possibly a bit overstated to write a book, a bit like talk radio. All in all, the book had an unusual premise and put into words what book lovers are thinking. received book through goodreads.com contest, with expectation of an unbiased review.
