Main Street Bookmine in St. Helena, Calif., is reopening this week under new ownership and with the name Wild Plum Books, the Napa Valley Register reported.
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| Installing the new signage at Wild Plum Books. | |
St. Helena resident Elyse Chambers purchased Main Street Bookmine from previous owner Naomi Chamblin (who retains ownership of two Bookmine stores in Napa, Calif.), and took over last month. Main Street Bookmine's official last day in business was May 26; Wild Plum Books will open on a limited basis this week before opening in full next week.
While Chambers has inherited some used books from Main Street's inventory, she plans to have Wild Plum Books focus primarily on new titles. There will be books for all ages along with gift items, and Chambers intends to host author events, book clubs, and possibly children's storytimes. She's aiming for Wild Plum, which spans 250 square feet, to be a "nice, cozy hideaway" for St. Helena's book lovers.
From 1982 until 2019, St. Helena's only bookstore was Main Street Books, which was owned and operated by Liza Russ. After Main Street Books closed in 2019, Chamblin opened Main Street Bookmine in the same space and hired Russ to work there full-time. Following Russ's retirement, Chamblin approached Chambers about buying the store, where the latter had been a frequent and avid customer.
"I wanted to honor the legacy that Liza created and have a space for the community that feels welcoming," Chambers told the Register. "I want it to be a little jewel box of a store in Napa Valley."