South Main Book Company is 'building up a community of literary warriors'

Local, independent bookstores have never been more important. With fair access to literature under political attack, bookstores are a bulwark against censorship and an asset to the communities they serve. Each week we profile an independent bookstore, discovering what makes each one special and getting their expert book recommendations.This week we have owner ​​Alissa Redmonds of South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina!

What’s your store’s story?

I am a retired diplomat as of October 2022. I last served in Bolivia and was evacuated with my 4-year-old in 2019 after a presidential election went haywire. I discovered the website for South Main Book Company, which was for sale by the previous owner at that time, from my desk in La Paz days before flying to the U.S. My brother picked us up from the airport, drove my kid and I to a Volvo dealership and we drove a station wagon to Salisbury a few hours later. This gorgeous bookstore was mine within a few more days. I had no background in retail, but tremendous experience developing communities overseas and now I am building up a community of literary warriors in rural North Carolina, which feels like the closest thing to my life's work I could ever have imagined.

What makes your independent bookstore unique?

South Main Book Company has donated thousands of books to the Little Free Libraries of Rowan County. After filling the libraries with over $13,000 in anti-racist titles in summer 2020, in response to a failed "boycott" of our store for supporting the removal of a nearby Confederate monument in the town square, we used the next round of funds to restock them in March/April 2021 with STEM titles.

We have sponsored multiple festivals in the public park behind our store, including Salisbury PRIDE and the Happy Roots Earth Jam. We are known in our community for major contributions towards children's literacy and civic and church groups routinely purchase diverse titles from our store to donate to our struggling school system.

What's your favorite section in your store?

My favorite part of our store is the role we play in our community. We donated about 250 books to Little Free Libraries over Labor Day weekend last year. Here is a comment we received on Facebook after the holiday weekend: "I just wanted to say thank you for putting books in the little free libraries. I can't afford to buy books right now but because of you I can still enjoy reading."

What book do you love to recommend and why?

"The Postcard" by Anne Berest is such an exquisite translation, perhaps the best I've ever read, from the original French. Historical fiction, particularly set in World War II, isn't usually my thing, but when it is done well it can be transformative. This novel is compelling literature based on a true story that brings a global tragedy into sharp focus through the tale of a single family. I was fascinated by the details interspersed about other artists and authors who had chance encounters with the characters (I plan to read everything I can by Irene Nemirovsky next). I can't recommend this one enough – and I've had multiple people thank me for doing so upon completing the book – the last line would break anyone's heart. 

What book do you think deserves more attention and why?

Google tells me Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is in his early 30s. Part of me hopes I get to read 10-15 more mind-blowing, earth-shattering novels of his in my lifetime, and most of me hopes that number is smaller due to time constraints as he rebuilds our actual world for the better through his genius and extraordinary compassion. His "Chain-Gang All-Stars" is brilliant. Anything he cosigns from now on, I'll be all over.

Why is shopping at local, independent bookstores important?

The bookstore has brought so many people into my life, especially kids who haven’t gotten out to see the world yet. I also grew up in a small town in North Carolina and think if I had not had pivotal conversations with people about what the world consists of and if I hadn’t been able to get out and experience it myself, I would have led a very different life. Through my previous life experiences, I can help my customers (particularly young ones) learn there is so much more to the world; you can live in a small town and read so many different books that transform your world view before you ever step on an airplane. There’s so much that can be experienced from books in the store and so much the world can offer you once your mind is open enough to the possibilities.

What are some of your store's programs or partnerships coming up this quarter that you would like to share?

Given the increased publicity we received last year about converting a Japanese fire truck into a bookmobile, I was offered a regular contributor spot with a local news organization to film monthly commentaries to educate the Southeastern region on banned books, local authors, events at our bookstore and in our community of Salisbury / Rowan County.