Amy Kane, who owns the bookstore in Haines, the tiny Alaska town where I live, tells everyone that my books, especially the most recent one, Of Bears and Ballots, published June 30, 2020, saved her business during the pandemic, but really, The Bookstore saved me.
“Bottom line is without that book we wouldn’t be here,” she said the other day when I stopped in to sign some books and buy a few more. She was holding Olive the cat, and standing by shelves filled with books. I love her store and this town even more because it is here. And Olive? She is perfect.
When Amy bought the once thriving bookstore after it had declined into a dingy craft and music shop that sold a few books and was no longer making any money, I had my hopes… and doubts. It was a big project. With the help of her landlord and the previous longtime bookstore owner, she spent the fall and winter of 2019-20 pulling up the old carpet, changing the layout, stocking shelves and best of all, re-naming it The Bookstore so there would be no confusion about its purpose.
Amy had moved to Haines looking for a new start. She had some friends here, and owning a bookstore was her dream. It was a huge leap. She opened with much joy and fanfare on March 6, 2020.
I know. A week before Alaska and much of the country locked down for COVID-19.
“Some people might say, ‘holy cow that’s terrible timing,’” Amy told me. “But it’s actually perfect.” (She is a very positive person.) She believes that because locals saw her commitment to our town and all the books, even though we didn’t know her very well, when everything closed, people went “way out of the way” to support her.
But can we please go back to how I supposedly saved The Bookstore? Let’s change the narrative to how The Bookstore saved me. Of Bears and Ballots came out during those scary lockdown days, and is about my sometimes-scary three-year term in local government that began with the election in 2016 and in many ways mirrored national politics. I think it’s my best book, and it is certainly my most emotional and difficult to write. I was anxious about the reception, especially in Haines. But it seemed nothing much would happen. No tour, no cool bookstores hosting me. Who would even know it existed? Who would read it? Did all my work and angst even matter? My poor publisher.
Then Amy, a Haines arts organization, and Algonquin teamed up to host a Zoom book launch when Zoom was new to many. It is hard to describe how good it made me feel. People came, a lot of them, my friends and neighbors and some from far away. The audience laughed and gasped and cried some with me as I shared the story. Amy and I offered to personalize signed copies for folks in Haines if they emailed or called her store, and then, since it was all distance sales and signing anyway, we figured we could do the same for readers anywhere. I blogged about it, and pretty soon business for Amy took off, and my books flew out into the world. Hundreds of them. People wanted to help a small bookstore, and a small town author. Amy spent a lot of time on the phone with strangers that became friends. “Your readers are generous folks. They are nice to talk to,” Amy says. For her it all “feels homey, and right.”
Yes, it does feel homey and right, just like Amy’s store. Soon, Amy and Olive will host The Bookstore’s first in-person author event. I volunteered to do the introductions. It’s the least I can do.
Well Heather….I found you in the Skaguay News Depot. I walked in the store and simply asked if they had any books written by a local author. The women pointed me to the shelf where “If You Lived Here I’d Know Your Name” was kept. I bought it and I’ve been following you ever since. Thank you for your art and wisdom and just good common sense.
I often stopped by the old bookstore on trips through Haines before the pandemic. Now, I’ll be sure to stop in to browse the next time through. Nicely done.
Heather and Amy are the glue that holds small communities together. Yours is an inspiring journey both for Haines and yourselves. Salud!
I was in Anchorage several years ago for a meeting in my field of Biology (Parasitology–study of Parasites). After the meeting, my husband and I took a side trip to Seward. There, in one of the gift shops, I found your book. It looked interesting and I am an avid reader, so I bought it. I have been a fan ever since. Once I got home, I subscribed to your blog and look forward to sharing your days. I have four grown children now and 6 small grandchildren, so I revel in the goings-on of your family and the community of Haines. Maybe one day I’ll get to visit your neck of the woods. (I live in New Mexico). Thanks for keeping it real and fun. (P.S. My goal the whole time I was in Alaska was to see a moose–everyone saw one but me!!)
A couple of years back I visited Haines for the first time. I loved the store then and can’t wait to go back. I have been one of those folks to call “The Bookstore” and order your books for friends. Having been on Bethel Alaska city council for one go around I totally related to “Of Bears and Ballots. Quyana
My daughter and I met you, Heather, when we were in Haines in the fall of 2016. I had read your books that had been published before that time, and in the summer of that year I wrote to ask for the privilege of meeting you when my Heather and I planned to be in Haines that September. You consented and on a chilly and rainy Sunday morning you kindly called on us at the B & B where we were staying. That fall you were elected to the local governmental board.
As soon as I could I purchased Of Bears and Ballots and began reading. It was a marvelous addition to my library, and yes it mirrored the political times. I agree that it is your best book to date, as it conveyed the turbulence you encountered in a manner that I could feel your stress and angst.