The Bookshop

Praise for The Bookshop

“A pleasure. . . . A spirited defense of this important, odd and odds-defying American retail category.”
—The New York Times

“Serious browsers will love this history of American bookstores . . . . Lively. . . . [Friss] has produced a work of popular history that is both entertaining and informative.”
—The Washington Post

“Fascinating. . . . A heartfelt, essential love letter to the literary sanctuary of bookstores and the people who run them.”
—People magazine, “Book of the Week”

“Engaging.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“Marvelous. . . . The Bookshop is a paean to those magical places and is a must-read to understand why bookshops have been such an integral part of American life for so long, and why they—even in an age of social media—remain an ‘influencer’ today.”
—The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“A series of thirteen mini-profiles of notable bookstores and their owners. . . . Friss sees the small bookstore in contemporary America as a haven from commercialism—a place where books are treated as more than mere merchandise—and as a community-building space. . . . In Friss’s account, the bookstore survives by redefining itself.”
—The New Yorker

“If you love books, and bookstores, you’re absolutely going to love Evan Friss’s The Bookshop. . . . ‘That bookstores continue to endure is, in some ways, something of a miracle,’ Friss writes in his introduction. But we’re so thankful they do—and that there’s this tribute to them.”
—Town & Country’s “39 Must-Read Books of Summer 2024”

“Attentive and thoughtful. . . . Evan Friss is the companionable guide we all deserve on this trip to bookstores throughout time, offering a treasure trove of information and anecdotes, and bittersweetly reminding us all how important these institutions are, how necessary to our culture and communities and how we must do everything in our power to protect them.”
—Julia Hass, Lit Hub‘s “Most Anticipated Books of 2024”

“Upbeat and immersive. . . . An entrancing deep dive into the book industry.”
—Publishers Weekly (STARRED review)

“Eye-opening. . . . A thoroughly engaging, delightful excursion into the wondrous world of books.”
—Kirkus Reviews (STARRED review)

“There’s something here guaranteed to evoke a warm memory in every bibliophile. . . . A book you will cherish.”
—Book Reporter

“Bookstores are such idiosyncratic expressions of the humans who run them, and it is a delight to wander through the bookstores of American history in this warm, generous book. I find myself in excellent company amongst the featured booksellers—all fully dedicated, driven by passion, and slightly mad. It’s a wonderful business we’re in.”
—Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author and owner of Books Are Magic

“This bookseller read Evan Friss’s The Bookshop with the greatest delight. Friss’s history of the independent bookshop in the United States is very much like his subject—deeply authoritative, very personal, and very engaging.”
—Paul Yamazaki, City Lights Bookseller and Publisher

“Is there anything better than a bookshop? Perhaps, just perhaps, a book about bookshops. This is what Evan Friss has given us, and like its subject, it is a portal to endless discovery. The histories and personalities, the challenges and pleasures, everything happening behind the scenes—all come alive in his marvelous account.”
—Glenn Adamson, author of Craft: An American History

“Evan Friss has written a charming, deeply researched history of the understated but vital role that booksellers have played in forging the American identity. Rich in incident and richer in the colorful characters who have sold—or tried to sell—books to a reliably intractable public from the days of the Old Corner Bookstore till today, The Bookshop is an absolute delight.”
—Stephen Sparks, owner of Point Reyes Books

“Delightfully similar to actually being in a favorite bookstore. . . . Peculiar and wonderful things are learned along the way. . . . Friss assembles all these terrific details and anecdotes like a Georges Seurat of history—little drops of fact come together to create a solid portrait of the bookstore business in America and its decline.”
—New City Lit

“Very well-researched. . . . Friss tells the story of an institution that has been deified, mythologized, and made the subject of novels. . . . Bibliophiles, bluestockings, and history buffs will want to dive in.”
—Air Mail

“The Bookshop argues persuasively that not only are these institutions a crucial part of U.S. social and political history, but that they are also worth fighting for in the face of a new generation of technological and financial threats.”
—Shelf Awareness

“[An] entertaining romp through history. . . . More than anything, Friss is a storyteller. Each chapter introduces us to fascinating, dedi­cated booksellers.”
—BookPage

“A lively history.”
—Booklist