A Great Good Place for Books in Oakland, Calif., closed on Sunday after 22 years in business. Owner Kathleen Caldwell had announced in April her plans to shut down the operation after "many tears, difficult conversations, and sleepless nights." A community staple, the bookstore was founded in 1997 by Debi Echlin, with Caldwell taking over as owner in 2005, the Oaklandside reported.
"It's been a wonderful and wild ride," said Caldwell, adding that her bookstore brought people together from all walks of life. " You name the author, I've probably done an event with them," she noted, adding that what she will miss most is "turning a kid onto an amazing book. So many cool things come out of the printed word."
In a heartfelt Facebook post two days before closing, Caldwell wrote, in part: "Looking back at the last 22 years and I realize just how lucky I've been to be a part of the magic that was A Great Good Place for Books. It has been one of greatest honors of my life.... I have loved being a part of this community....
"GGP's employees.... What do you say when you've surrounded yourself with some of the best people in the universe? Thank you for being my GGPeeps, I will be forever grateful you spent time making this store and its community so awesome. The way you all stepped up the year I was sick and loved my store as if it were your own will always bring tears to my eyes.... So thank you for making this chapter the ride of a lifetime. I will miss being a part of your daily life and be grateful for how you've enriched mine.... Thank you Montclair and maybe one day I'll see you in the stacks."