Word workers, writers, and lovers of literature, you need to sit down, shut up, and read Shut Up and Read by Jeannine A. Cook. Subtitled, A Memoir from Harrietts Bookshop, a better subtitle would have been, A Memoir of Miracles and Literary Magic that Will Make You Believe in the Power of the Written Word. Yes, it is that powerful.

More Than a Memoir

I’m not sure if memoir is even the proper category for this book. Yes, it is a very personal story, theoretically about how the author, Cook, wrote her first novel, while at the same time managed to run two indie bookshops in Philadelphia and New Jersey, and worked on opening a third pop-up shop in Paris. But the story is far from linear, and there are no true beginnings nor triumphant endings. We kind of start in the middle and end where we end. But if you know anything about Cook, then you would expect nothing less than a complicated, but deliciously compelling story of book magic and miracles.

What we get in these pages is a window into how Cook thinks about the world, how she views her life through otherworldly glasses, and how she conceptualizes challenges -from a lack of funding for school tuition, to a diagnosis of Graves’ disease - so that they become both magical and manageable.

For anyone who was hoping for a play-by-play, or a blueprint on how to open and run an independent bookstore and host wildly successful literary events around the world, while scoring a two-book deal in your free time, this is not that book.

Lessons for the Literary

What I loved about this book is how it left me so inspired as a word worker. As a writer, literary-community organizer, and book lover, knowing that people like Jeannine exist in the world, makes me want to try harder. With everything. Reading how invested she is, even in the face of tremendous obstacles, to not only sell books, but to mentor young people, fight illiteracy, challenge politicians, and just make the world a better place for creatives, had me cheering her on as I turned the pages. And when I finished the book, I did some deep personal reflections, asking myself, am I doing enough? What else could I be doing to guarantee we will have a future where books, bookshops, libraries, and literary lovers can all thrive?

Lessons for Life

To be clear, you don’t have to be a writer or a literary activist to enjoy this book. The story works on many levels. One of my favorite parts of Shut Up and Read, is Cook’s exploration of her complicated relationship with her father, whom she calls Lazarus because of the number of times he’s cheated death. While Cook does not go into detail about her father’s life, she does let us know that bad things have happened, and yet he still remains an influential part of her journey as a word worker and activist. In other words, like most of us, Cook’s family life is messy, but she is still able to find the magic and the meaning in those relationships. She is still able to extend grace, which is just one more lesson we can all take to heart.

Better than Blueprint

After reading Shut Up and Read, you won’t have a blueprint for how to open an independent bookstore that is powerful enough to survive and thrive through a pandemic, or how to launch a pop-up shop in Paris. You won’t know how to write a novel on your phone, or how to buy a building without any money for the down payment. But you will know it’s possible. You will know that miracles can really happen. You will know that believing in magic can turn the tides in your favor. You will know that one single shopkeeper can change the world. And that knowledge, is priceless.

Have you read, Shut Up and Read? What did you think? What books do you think might be in conversation with this title? I think Shut Up and Read will be the next Alchemist, the type of book people will re-read and gift over and over again. Do you agree? Leave your thoughts in the comments.