Madison Books, Seattle, Wash., will reopen under new ownership on September 1. The Seattle Times reported that Christina Leber and Sarah Trainer purchased the 400-square-foot shop, which was launched in 2020, from Tom Nissley, who wants to focus his time on his other store, Phinney Books.
"I would like to get some writing done again, and that just hasn't even been close to possible the last five years. I think it's only possible if I'm a one-bookstore guy," Nissley said.
Madison Books "felt like a physical extension" of its manager, James Crossley, a legendary bookseller "known for his exquisite taste, and that taste was reflected in practically every inch of the tiny shop's metal shelves," the Times noted. When Crossley moved to St. Louis, Mo.--where he and Amanda Clark have since opened Leviathan Bookstore--"many wondered if the store could survive the loss of its heart. They'll get their answer when the store reopens under new owners."
"We're sisters who grew up in Seattle, on Capitol Hill. And we were like homing pigeons," Leber said. "We were gone for many years--for school and grad school and work--and then we had kids and came back to Capitol Hill." Neither of them had previous bookselling experience--Trainer is an anthropologist and Leber worked as a social worker--but Trainer gradually developed a desire to work with books.
Last fall, Trainer came across Madison Books. "I fell into a conversation with James, as one does, and I said, 'This is a strange question, but by any chance, are you hiring?' 'Funny you should ask,' he said. 'How would you like to be the manager?' "
Crossley connected Trainer with Nissley, who hired her as a manager, and she soon convinced Leber to join the staff. Their first month without Crossley at Madison Books was December 2023.
"We just kind of threw them in the deep end," Nissley recalled, "and it's a good sign that you can come in the craziest time of year in a time of transition and have your first reaction be, 'Oh, I really like this.' "
"I feel like we have been in training for this job our whole lives in that we both have been reading crazily for decades and decades," Leber noted. The sisters were soon in discussion about buying Madison Books from Nissley.
The changes Leber and Trainer envision are modest and largely centered on expanding programming, including book fairs with nearby schools and a regular event schedule to complement the shop's monthly book club.
"I think we have a wonderful selection of books, and we feed a large geographic area," Trainer said. "One of the most common phrases I've heard about Madison Books is 'small but mighty.' Each area of focus within the bookstore has a depth that you wouldn't expect in such a little space. It's amazing."