Garden Wall Bookshop hosted a grand opening celebration on September 20 and 21 at 101 N. Main St., Verona, Wis., the former site of Kismet Books, which was founded in 2020 by Ryan Kimmet. Suzi Arnston and Melissa Arnston-Choudhury purchased the bookstore from Kimmet in March and "have been working hard to bring new life to the unique bookshop and historic building" as part of their rebranding efforts, they noted.
At the time of the sale last spring, Kimmet posted on Instagram about the ownership change, noting that "Melissa & Suzi will be taking up the mantle of the family owned and run indie bookshop and I know they will carry on building on this incredible community we have built together. I will have more to share about them in their own intro post soon. Again, I am so happy to have been able to begin this wonderful place and help it grow and am excited to see what the next chapter holds for Kismet."
Arnston and Arnston-Choudhury noted that the building in which the Garden Wall Bookshop is located was constructed in 1848, "the year Wisconsin became a state. The Matt's House was said to have drawn visitors from the surrounding area back in the day just as it does today. 177 years later the Matt's home still stands on the northeast corner of Verona's main intersection and is home to Garden Wall Bookshop.... One step inside the old house and you will be welcomed into what an independent bookstore is supposed to be. Packed with books for all ages, trinkets, and a variety of items from local artists, the store has something for everyone."