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Shut Up and Read: A Memoir from Harriett’s Bookshop
The author of It’s Me They Follow chronicles the improbable true story of how she left an abusive past to build a bookshop that survived the Covid pandemic and become an international sensation.
Jeannine Cook always thought she’d open a bookshop in her old age. Raised by a blind librarian, books were integral to her life, and she expected she would eventually write one as well. Instead, Jeannine found herself a burnt-out workaholic with three jobs and no time to read or write, feeling like she hadn't fulfilled her purpose.
In her journal, Jeannine began an imaginary dialogue with Harriet Tubman, “Q&As” she dubbed Conversations with Harriett. Jeannine wondered how Harriet became a “wade through waist-high water in the type of woman—and how she could become one too.
On February 1, 2020, Jeannine fulfilled her dream and opened a bookstore in Philadelphia which she named after her hero and inspiration, Harriet Tubman. Harriett’s Bookshop would be a place to celebrate women authors, artists, and activists. While the name was ironic—Harriet could neither read nor write—it was also fitting. The City of Brotherly love was one of Harriet's first stops to freedom on the Underground Railroad. But in only six weeks, Jeannine would be forced to shut the shop’s doors when Covid turned the world upside down—not knowing whether her dream would survive.
Five years later, this small independent bookshop is thriving, with satellite stores in unconventional places, from movie theaters to horse trailers. Despite global death and destruction, book bans, the downward spiral in readership, the lack of physical customers, AI, and more, Jeannine's shops have survived. Shut Up & Read is her story—the story of the little bookseller who could, and of the woman who has been the driving force behind it all.
Jeannine Cook always thought she’d open a bookshop in her old age. Raised by a blind librarian, books were integral to her life, and she expected she would eventually write one as well. Instead, Jeannine found herself a burnt-out workaholic with three jobs and no time to read or write, feeling like she hadn't fulfilled her purpose.
In her journal, Jeannine began an imaginary dialogue with Harriet Tubman, “Q&As” she dubbed Conversations with Harriett. Jeannine wondered how Harriet became a “wade through waist-high water in the type of woman—and how she could become one too.
On February 1, 2020, Jeannine fulfilled her dream and opened a bookstore in Philadelphia which she named after her hero and inspiration, Harriet Tubman. Harriett’s Bookshop would be a place to celebrate women authors, artists, and activists. While the name was ironic—Harriet could neither read nor write—it was also fitting. The City of Brotherly love was one of Harriet's first stops to freedom on the Underground Railroad. But in only six weeks, Jeannine would be forced to shut the shop’s doors when Covid turned the world upside down—not knowing whether her dream would survive.
Five years later, this small independent bookshop is thriving, with satellite stores in unconventional places, from movie theaters to horse trailers. Despite global death and destruction, book bans, the downward spiral in readership, the lack of physical customers, AI, and more, Jeannine's shops have survived. Shut Up & Read is her story—the story of the little bookseller who could, and of the woman who has been the driving force behind it all.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2026
41 people are currently reading
3685 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 10, 2026
Is this collected essays or something? There are a lot of repeated bits that feel like that. And I never really felt like I got my hands on the creation of the bookshop, or the shape of the author's life. Some inspiring bits here and there but not what I was expecting.
March 14, 2026
Quick, delightful memoir and peek into the life of a Philadelphia indie bookseller.
March 19, 2026
Shut Up and Read: A Memoir from Harriett’s Bookshop by Jeannine A. Cook reminded me that bookstores are never just bookstores. At their best, they are sanctuary. They are meeting place. They are testimony. They are a way for people to find themselves, each other, and the words they need to keep going.
What I loved most about this memoir was learning about Cook’s life through the building of Harriett’s Bookshop, her advocacy, her vision, her pain, her persistence, and the deeply personal journey that shaped the space she created. You can feel that this bookshop was born out of longing, purpose, and a refusal to let the world make small what was always meant to be expansive.
One line that stayed with me is:
“I realize now that part of building the bookshop is me seeking to build a home for those who need one again and again.”
And truly, that is the spirit of this whole book.
This memoir reminded me that hosting events, making space for conversation, and putting the right books into the right hands at the right time is sacred work. That kind of work changes people. It affirms them. It can even help save them. Shut Up and Read feels like a testimony to that truth.
If you love bookstores, literary community, and memoirs about building something meaningful against the odds, this one is worth your time. It is tender, visionary, and deeply rooted in the power of books to make a way out of no way.
For the people who believe books can hold us.
For the people doing community work through stories.
For the ones trying to build something bigger than themselves.
This one will speak to you.
What I loved most about this memoir was learning about Cook’s life through the building of Harriett’s Bookshop, her advocacy, her vision, her pain, her persistence, and the deeply personal journey that shaped the space she created. You can feel that this bookshop was born out of longing, purpose, and a refusal to let the world make small what was always meant to be expansive.
One line that stayed with me is:
“I realize now that part of building the bookshop is me seeking to build a home for those who need one again and again.”
And truly, that is the spirit of this whole book.
This memoir reminded me that hosting events, making space for conversation, and putting the right books into the right hands at the right time is sacred work. That kind of work changes people. It affirms them. It can even help save them. Shut Up and Read feels like a testimony to that truth.
If you love bookstores, literary community, and memoirs about building something meaningful against the odds, this one is worth your time. It is tender, visionary, and deeply rooted in the power of books to make a way out of no way.
For the people who believe books can hold us.
For the people doing community work through stories.
For the ones trying to build something bigger than themselves.
This one will speak to you.
March 31, 2026
I read this book after reading someone else's review and because I loved the title and the cover. From the first to last page, the author pulls you in with her wit, passion for books, author's, writing, and unique vision for starting bookstores in the States and also in Paris. I like her activism and loved the stories about her dad and her interesting friends. Reading this book may inspire you to write.
March 29, 2026
Jeannine A. Cook tells the story of her independent bookstore in Philadelphia. In 2020, despite COVID, her love of words and her commitment to serve her community resulted in a shop that became a haven and a home for ideas. The name, Harriett's Bookshop, was inspired by Harriet Tuman who Cook looks to as a mentor and spiritual guide. Josephine Baker is another hero who Cook looks to for guidance and inspiration.
Cook's writing is delightful. Her story is inspiring. Throughout her tale, she weaves episodes from her life that create a tapestry that is beautiful. It is easy to see how her shop must be more than just a place to buy books. It is a cultural center and place to expand minds. I love the idea of shopkeeping as activism. And don't be fooled, this is Jeannine A. Cook's memoir. Her family struggles and personal tragedies are all here. She even manages to open a satellite store in Paris!
This book is full of emotion, drama, spirit, humor, love, and so much more. It could have easily been a novel, but it's the true story of the author making Philadelphia and the world a better place, one book at a time. I suppose it's also a "how to", Ms. Cook is obviously a clever businesswoman and there is much to learn from her about life, the human spirit, and how to run a bookshop! This is a really good book - check it out.
Cook's writing is delightful. Her story is inspiring. Throughout her tale, she weaves episodes from her life that create a tapestry that is beautiful. It is easy to see how her shop must be more than just a place to buy books. It is a cultural center and place to expand minds. I love the idea of shopkeeping as activism. And don't be fooled, this is Jeannine A. Cook's memoir. Her family struggles and personal tragedies are all here. She even manages to open a satellite store in Paris!
This book is full of emotion, drama, spirit, humor, love, and so much more. It could have easily been a novel, but it's the true story of the author making Philadelphia and the world a better place, one book at a time. I suppose it's also a "how to", Ms. Cook is obviously a clever businesswoman and there is much to learn from her about life, the human spirit, and how to run a bookshop! This is a really good book - check it out.
March 25, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC of Shut Up and Read by Jeannine Cook. I loved the premise and the glimpse into bookstore life, but the memoir felt a bit scattered at times. I found myself wishing for a stronger focus on the bookshop itself, though it still offers an honest and personal perspective, seeing as it is a memoir.
March 16, 2026
I enjoyed this memoir. I honestly knew nothing about her and I loved learning about her bookshop and all the other community activism she does. So inspiring.
I did find the book jumped around a lot so at times I found it hard to follow.
4/5 stars
I did find the book jumped around a lot so at times I found it hard to follow.
4/5 stars
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book was written for book lovers like me. Shut Up and Read is the heartfelt journey of a bookstore as it comes to life. I loved everything about this brilliantly written memoir. I loved the stories and the way it was written and the emotion woven through the pages pulled me in completely.
Even though I read an ARC, I’ll absolutely be buying a hardcover for my personal library. I have to revisit this book. Jeannine’s story is that inspiring. Opening not one, but three bookstores named in honor of heroic and historic trailblazing women like Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Josephine Baker is remarkable.
There are so many powerful moments in this book. One of my favorites is when Jeannine writes about traveling to protests in 2020 after the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. She and her youth conductors (young people she mentors to become community leaders) traveled to Louisville for Breonna Taylor. But they didn’t march with signs. They came armed with books. Yes! You read that right! At each protest, they handed out books to people in the crowd. That image stayed with me. Protesters standing for justice… and leaving with books.
There’s also a beautiful moment about the late great Whitney Houston. When Whitney Houston’s song Greatest Love of All played twice during their travels, Jeannine learned many of the youth only knew Whitney for the tragedy surrounding her passing. So she shared the lyrics of the song with them and made sure they understood who Whitney truly was. Later, she even emailed them the lyrics so they would always remember the message.
The book also includes essays from some of the youth conductors themselves. They write about what it meant to travel with Jeannine to those protests, how it opened their eyes, and how it changed the way they see this country and their place in it.
By the time I finished this memoir, one thing was clear: this isn’t just a story about a bookstore. It’s a story about community, mentorship, activism, and the power of books to shape the way we see the world. And for a reader like me, that made it unforgettable.
Publication Date: March 10, 2026
Note: This book was provided by Amistad publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Even though I read an ARC, I’ll absolutely be buying a hardcover for my personal library. I have to revisit this book. Jeannine’s story is that inspiring. Opening not one, but three bookstores named in honor of heroic and historic trailblazing women like Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Josephine Baker is remarkable.
There are so many powerful moments in this book. One of my favorites is when Jeannine writes about traveling to protests in 2020 after the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. She and her youth conductors (young people she mentors to become community leaders) traveled to Louisville for Breonna Taylor. But they didn’t march with signs. They came armed with books. Yes! You read that right! At each protest, they handed out books to people in the crowd. That image stayed with me. Protesters standing for justice… and leaving with books.
There’s also a beautiful moment about the late great Whitney Houston. When Whitney Houston’s song Greatest Love of All played twice during their travels, Jeannine learned many of the youth only knew Whitney for the tragedy surrounding her passing. So she shared the lyrics of the song with them and made sure they understood who Whitney truly was. Later, she even emailed them the lyrics so they would always remember the message.
The book also includes essays from some of the youth conductors themselves. They write about what it meant to travel with Jeannine to those protests, how it opened their eyes, and how it changed the way they see this country and their place in it.
By the time I finished this memoir, one thing was clear: this isn’t just a story about a bookstore. It’s a story about community, mentorship, activism, and the power of books to shape the way we see the world. And for a reader like me, that made it unforgettable.
Publication Date: March 10, 2026
Note: This book was provided by Amistad publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2026
I first became acquainted with Ms Cook during the pandemic when I read her single post on a social media platform indicating that she was in her bookstore one day and had not received any book sales and her fear of having to shut down her bookstore. As a result of that post gaining national attention ,people began to go to the store as well as purchase merchandise on line. The outpouring of support was aspiring. I was intrigued. I personally purchased a book and I went to the sister bookstore in Haddonfield NJ to support that as well. Because I believe in community bookstore. Especially Black Owned bookstores.
So when I had the opportunity to read her memoir I was ecstatic. Her memoir did not disappoint. the book was an easy read full of details of her life and her love for books and the importance of spreading the love of knowledge with many people.
Her work and love of her community is aspiring. And community for her is a action word. In her memoir we are taking behind the scenes of her opening not one but two bookstores. And the trials and tribulations that ensued as a result. Her riding on horseback to deliver books to people during the pandemic, her traveling to Paris to complete her book. and the friends she met to help her along her journey, her organizing a event to take underserved youth in Philadelphia to take a trip abroad to Paris. Her relationship with her father and her health concerns. At the end of reading her memoir I was not only intrigued but I was in awe. And you can see for Jeannine A. Cook: Community is an action word.
So when I had the opportunity to read her memoir I was ecstatic. Her memoir did not disappoint. the book was an easy read full of details of her life and her love for books and the importance of spreading the love of knowledge with many people.
Her work and love of her community is aspiring. And community for her is a action word. In her memoir we are taking behind the scenes of her opening not one but two bookstores. And the trials and tribulations that ensued as a result. Her riding on horseback to deliver books to people during the pandemic, her traveling to Paris to complete her book. and the friends she met to help her along her journey, her organizing a event to take underserved youth in Philadelphia to take a trip abroad to Paris. Her relationship with her father and her health concerns. At the end of reading her memoir I was not only intrigued but I was in awe. And you can see for Jeannine A. Cook: Community is an action word.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Like her heroines, Harriett Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Josephine Baker, Jeannine A. Cook is a visionary, rebel, community builder, activist, and complex Black woman. Listing the roles she fills—writer, shopkeeper, mentor—doesn’t begin to encompass the breadth and depth of her life and all the people she impacts. From a young age, people saw Jeanine’s creativity and potential, she’s learned to believe it herself.
"Shut Up and Read" is a love letter to books and writers and Cook’s adopted city of Philadelphia. She shares four months of her life in 2024 when she was writing her novel, buying the building that houses her bookstore, dealing with an chronic illness, traveling between Paris and Philadelphia, worrying about her father’s health, preparing to interview an author, and spending time with sister-friends, sometimes doing all of those tasks in the same day.
Cook invites us into her life and shares enough for us to want to know more but never too much. Her writing is electric, raw, honest, and poetic. This astute, expertly-written memoir flows and stays with you.
Any reader who has ever dreamed of owning a bookstore or making an impact on their community will find insight and hope from Jeannine’s story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad/HarperCollins for sharing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
#netgalley #shutupandread
"Shut Up and Read" is a love letter to books and writers and Cook’s adopted city of Philadelphia. She shares four months of her life in 2024 when she was writing her novel, buying the building that houses her bookstore, dealing with an chronic illness, traveling between Paris and Philadelphia, worrying about her father’s health, preparing to interview an author, and spending time with sister-friends, sometimes doing all of those tasks in the same day.
Cook invites us into her life and shares enough for us to want to know more but never too much. Her writing is electric, raw, honest, and poetic. This astute, expertly-written memoir flows and stays with you.
Any reader who has ever dreamed of owning a bookstore or making an impact on their community will find insight and hope from Jeannine’s story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad/HarperCollins for sharing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
#netgalley #shutupandread
March 14, 2026
If you need a memoir about a fearless and inspiring woman, as she brings not one, but three black female-owned indie bookstores to life, then this should absolutely be your next read. She self narrates the audiobook which I can’t recommend enough! I loved hearing her story with her own voice!
Not only is this an incredible accomplishment on its own, but she did this all while battling a chronic illness, actively participating in bettering her community, being called to activism, writing her own novel, traveling between Philadelphia and Paris, and being challenged to keep her business in tact during COVID.
The mentors along the way both, past and present, historical and personal, are a beautiful touch to her journey. Jeannine derived her bookstore names from three of her own heroines: Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Josephine Baker. Similarly to their trailblazing legacies, Jeannine stands on her own as a woman all should know about and learn from. She creates her own path as a true visionary and activist-often found marching alongside the George Floyd & Breonna Taylor protestors, handing out books; as a mentor-inspiring her youth conductors as future community leaders; and always fighting for herself, and the black community.
Her passion of making reading and black stories accessible while supporting independent bookstore owners translates throughout her novel. Her family and personal friendships are also major themes that add a poignant touch to her journey throughout. At the heart of this beautifully crafted and raw memoir, is a story about the power of books that shape us, the mentors who inspire us, and the woman who believed in herself to not only make her own dreams come true but continues to make a positive impact on her community and the people around her.
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Jeannine A. Cook
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: March 10, 2026
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Memoir • Nonfiction
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Audio (6h 2m) 🎧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Author
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★☆ 𝟒.𝟓
{ rounded up to 5 on GR }
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: A great memoir on audio about an inspirational woman!
✨Thank you @librofm @amistadbooks for my free ALC 🎧 Happy pub week! 🎉
Quotes can be found on my instagram review post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DV05JV4lN...
Not only is this an incredible accomplishment on its own, but she did this all while battling a chronic illness, actively participating in bettering her community, being called to activism, writing her own novel, traveling between Philadelphia and Paris, and being challenged to keep her business in tact during COVID.
The mentors along the way both, past and present, historical and personal, are a beautiful touch to her journey. Jeannine derived her bookstore names from three of her own heroines: Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Josephine Baker. Similarly to their trailblazing legacies, Jeannine stands on her own as a woman all should know about and learn from. She creates her own path as a true visionary and activist-often found marching alongside the George Floyd & Breonna Taylor protestors, handing out books; as a mentor-inspiring her youth conductors as future community leaders; and always fighting for herself, and the black community.
Her passion of making reading and black stories accessible while supporting independent bookstore owners translates throughout her novel. Her family and personal friendships are also major themes that add a poignant touch to her journey throughout. At the heart of this beautifully crafted and raw memoir, is a story about the power of books that shape us, the mentors who inspire us, and the woman who believed in herself to not only make her own dreams come true but continues to make a positive impact on her community and the people around her.
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Jeannine A. Cook
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: March 10, 2026
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Memoir • Nonfiction
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Audio (6h 2m) 🎧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Author
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★☆ 𝟒.𝟓
{ rounded up to 5 on GR }
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: A great memoir on audio about an inspirational woman!
✨Thank you @librofm @amistadbooks for my free ALC 🎧 Happy pub week! 🎉
Quotes can be found on my instagram review post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DV05JV4lN...
March 10, 2026
In this memoir we follow Jeannine's journey of accomplishing her dream of opening Harriett's Bookshop in Philadelphia. Low and behold a few weeks after opening this bookshop on February 1, 2020, the covid pandemic hit, forcing the doors of Harriett's to close. Hope was not lost and Jeannine found creative ways to keep her book store alive despite the challenges while expanding her reach.
I absolutely adored Jeannie's tenacity to see things through. She encountered all the right people to push her forward and achieve her dreams. It's amazing how beneficial it was to have a community that really poured into Jeanine and she continues to pour into others forming her own overground Underground Railroad.
With Harriet Tubman and the ancestors as her guiding lights, Jeanine has turned her love of books into a legacy of literature for all to share in.
Read this if you like stories that are inspiring that are rooted in community, purpose, and activism.
I absolutely adored Jeannie's tenacity to see things through. She encountered all the right people to push her forward and achieve her dreams. It's amazing how beneficial it was to have a community that really poured into Jeanine and she continues to pour into others forming her own overground Underground Railroad.
With Harriet Tubman and the ancestors as her guiding lights, Jeanine has turned her love of books into a legacy of literature for all to share in.
Read this if you like stories that are inspiring that are rooted in community, purpose, and activism.
Read
March 30, 2026I don’t like to give stat ratings on memoirs because who am I to judge someone’s life story? In lieu of that I will say that I found this story to be impactful and well told. I liked that it carries on a tradition of oral history being passed down through not just words but song. The essays/chapters come in different forms: some are lyrics, some are poems, some are traditionally structured essays. In choosing to tell her story this way she conveyed grief and triumph in a really unique and authentic way that I loved.
I do struggle with memoirs of people that are so young but I appreciate the way she went about this and also that she made it clear this is not the only story she will tell. Looking forward to what she has to say next.
Thank you to Libro.fm, the author and the publisher for the gifted copy.
I do struggle with memoirs of people that are so young but I appreciate the way she went about this and also that she made it clear this is not the only story she will tell. Looking forward to what she has to say next.
Thank you to Libro.fm, the author and the publisher for the gifted copy.
Did not finish
March 28, 2026Made it through 10 chapters, so almost 20%. This isn’t the book for me. I found the author profoundly disorganized; it’s not just the short chapters that jump around from topic to topic—she couldn’t even seem to stay focused on the stated topic of a chapter before she started running off to chase tangents in ways that kept making me wonder “wait, what are we doing here, now…?” Felt very “I don’t know how to write a memoir so I’ll just write down some essays in stream-of-consciousness format—and then not edit.”
Additionally, her narration of the audiobook feels very much like she’s just reading from a script instead of speaking in her own words, which feels like a weird achievement for… a memoir… 😅
Additionally, her narration of the audiobook feels very much like she’s just reading from a script instead of speaking in her own words, which feels like a weird achievement for… a memoir… 😅
Review of advance copy
One of the things that stood out to me the most while listening to Shut Up and Read was the incredible devotion to the community that Jeannine possessed. She does not gloss over the struggles of being an independent bookstore owner but rather tenaciously seeks out ways to establish her bookstores as cornerstones of the communities they are located in, communities that I grew up (very) close to. What I would not have given to have had Harriett's or Ida's established when I was growing up!
Jeannine draws from a strong connection to women trailblazers in her past and we are treated to her thoughts through the process of writing a novel and opening two bookstores by way of her letters to these phenomenal women. She takes that same sense of connection as well as the belief that literacy has the power to change lives and channels it into the communities around her bookshops.
Shut Up and Read is an incredibly impactful and inspiring read that I highly recommend for every lover of books, literacy, and community.
Thank you to @amistadbooks and @LibroFM for the gifted audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.
Jeannine draws from a strong connection to women trailblazers in her past and we are treated to her thoughts through the process of writing a novel and opening two bookstores by way of her letters to these phenomenal women. She takes that same sense of connection as well as the belief that literacy has the power to change lives and channels it into the communities around her bookshops.
Shut Up and Read is an incredibly impactful and inspiring read that I highly recommend for every lover of books, literacy, and community.
Thank you to @amistadbooks and @LibroFM for the gifted audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.
March 21, 2026
I think the prose was beautiful and the author is doing such wide-ranging and important work but this book felt soo discombobulated. I agree with others it would’ve been great as a set of short stories instead. Lots of unanswered questions where we were thrown into these interesting scenarios — her struggling to afford making it through college, living in Paris, opening the bookstore — without full context of WHY or HOW. The chapter reading a news article was the most informative one for obvious reasons but wish it had a stronger editor throughout!
March 6, 2026
I really enjoyed this story about the author's journey to opening her own Black Indie bookstore and writing her first book. Passionate, driven and determined, Jeannine A. Cook is going places! I wish I lived closer to visit her store but I'm so glad she made it happen for herself! Great on audio read by the author too. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 23, 2026
what a story; what a life; what a gift to the world. thank you for sharing it with us, Jeannine A. Cook. an inspiration for those of us whose lives intersect with a lovelovelove of books and women writers and women artists and activists and education and human connection and the spiritual and lifting each other up. grab a cup of tea and some honey and your journal and this memoir and just shut up and read. ♥️
April 1, 2026
This was a Giveaways win, and not precisely what I thought I was getting. It's a memoir, but more a collection of short essays with a bit of her life thrown in. I don't really feel I know much about her, now that I've finished the book. She refers to things but doesn't fill in the blanks, which is frustrating. But in spite of not being satisfied by the memoir or lack thereof, I did like the book as a read.
March 23, 2026
4.25 rating! This was a cool, inspiring memior about a woman who was determined to open her own bookstore and ended up building a legacy. Jeannine A. Cook told her story through small essays and it was enlightening to listen to. I don't know if Josephine 's is still open in Paris but if it is, I definitely want to find it!😊
March 13, 2026
Listen to the audiobook. Narration was excellent. I have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts that were impactful and made you think ……..and then there were parts that seemed to ramble on and completely lost me.
March 27, 2026
Cook is an excellent writer with so many creative ideas, and she's shared so much vulnerability and hard life truths in this memoir. I've been supporting Harriet's books with purchases through Libro.FM, and after reading this I feel even more confident about that choice.
April 1, 2026
Fascinating and quick book! Love how the author also ties in other books, emphasizes the importance of community, and honors her heritage! The perfect book to finish out Women’s History Month.
Thank you LibroFM for the ARC!
Thank you LibroFM for the ARC!
March 2, 2026
Fantastic memoir!
Review of advance copy
2.5, rounded up.
March 13, 2026
Part memoir, part poetry, part philosophy and political activism. I have new book stores on my "to visit" list now.
March 27, 2026
Opening up bookshops inspired by strong women’s lives; run by ‘youth conductors’, while fighting financial, political + racism -yet still getting the job done- the power of books is mighty!
March 28, 2026
strange to write a memoir that has no central narrative, exposition, or chronology
March 30, 2026
This was my first memoir. The writer was absolutely brilliant I just didn’t enjoy it. I don’t think I like memoirs!
April 4, 2026
2.5/3 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews