The Magic of Books Bookstore, Seymour, Ind., which opened in 2020, has new owners. The Tribune reported that local authors Ashley Greathouse and Madison Jacobs have purchased the store from Jenna Martinez, who will remain closely connected with the business as a silent partner.
In June, Martinez had announced, "with a heavy heart," that she would be closing the bookstore August 1. Jacobs, a regular at the 1852 Café--which was connected to the bookstore but has since closed--had met Martinez there, the Tribune noted, adding that "while Jacobs was writing, she found guidance through Martinez, helping Jacobs as her beta reader."
When Greathouse heard about the bookstore closing for good, she panicked. "This has been a safe haven--not just for me, but for the community," she recalled.
Jacobs said she wanted to help not only the community, but Martinez as well: "I really wanted to help Jenna not lose her dream, but also expand on it." Greathouse added: "It's an exciting chapter for her (Martinez) and for us."
The new owners are aiming to create a "literary lounge," and in the children's section they are planning to add mushroom stools and a small TV playing educational and literary-based programming.
Since taking ownership, Jacobs said they have been pleasantly surprised by how many people came in daily and thank them for keeping the business running, noting: "If they love it this much now, wait until you see what we do.... We would absolutely love to hear from the community. As much as this is our vision, we want the community to have so much say--we want this to be their place."