Talk about town: New book tells story of Maria’s Bookshop

A new book about the history of Maria’s Bookshop was recently released. Peter Schertz, co-owner of the store, said about 50 copies of the book are being printed, and multiple runs could be made. “You won’t find this book on Amazon,” he said.

Durango Herald

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A new book about the history of Maria’s Bookshop was recently released. Peter Schertz, co-owner of the store, said about 50 copies of the book are being printed, and multiple runs could be made. “You won’t find this book on Amazon,” he said.

Durango Herald

The history of Maria’s Bookshop has been chronicled in a new book, The Story of a Colorado Bookstore, by local author John Peel.

The 55-page book answers many questions patrons are always asking such as “Who is Maria?” and “What’s the significance of the bird?” It also lays out the evolution of the store, which started simply as The Bookshop in 1972.

The shop’s co-owner, Peter Schertz, said he felt obligated to see that a history of the shop was written, and he knew people involved in past ownerships would be willing to talk.

“It felt like it was a good idea to get it down on paper,” he said.

The release of the book happened about the same time that Schertz announced the shop is for sale, but Schertz said it was not intentional and he doesn’t view the book as marking the end of an era. He hopes Peel will get to add chapters to the book.

“The magic of Maria’s Bookshop is going to continue,” he said.

A short documentary about the shop has also been released. It can be viewed at mariasbookshop.com.

Herald Staff