By Britney Ellis Rahman – Contributor
Photo courtesy of Britney Ellis Rahman
Friday the 13th, November 1998, a cold morning with temperatures barely half a degree above freezing with a stiff breeze bringing that chill to the bone. A warm and welcoming retreat for bookworms had just opened its doors: Black Cat Books. It has been twenty-six years since the fateful day and the cozy bookstore, now in the capable hands of its current owner, Anne-Marie Bailey, remains the hidden gem for gently used books in Lennoxville.
Located across the street from the Maxi and tucked in behind the former Tri-Knit café where it might be easy to miss, but for those in the know, Bailey describes it as “Lennoxville’s best-kept secret.” And what a secret it is. With over fifteen thousand books stacked quite literally floor to ceiling and wall to wall in the cozy seven hundred square foot shop spanning every imaginable genre, the shop is a book lover’s dream. A veritable “dragon’s hoard” of treasures, as Bailey whimsically puts it, guarded by an entire troop of thematically appropriate black cat statuettes
Photo courtesy of Britney Ellis Rahman
I remember getting lost in the maze of these shelves when I was but a budding young bookworm. My mother, a Bishop’s University honors student at the time, would come visit her friend Annie, who at the time lived in the apartment on the top floor. While they had their study date I would explore. It is now over twenty years later, and the place still gives me those same feelings of wonder and joy when I walk in, but now with even more to discover and enjoy.
Over the years, Bailey has kept the spirit of the original Black Cat alive while also making it her own. One of those contributions came some six years ago when the store partnered with Faro to create its own coffee blend, of which Bailey will gladly make you a cup while you peruse the collection, or when you sit down in the adorable reading corner to glance at a few pages of your finds.
For an avid reader, the thought of being eternally surrounded by more books than one could possibly read in ten lifetimes may sound like a dream come true, because it is one, but Bailey describes it as being “both the best and worst thing about owning a bookshop.” The fact of seeing new things literally every day and needing to figure out what to do with everything on hand can be a lot when you are the sole owner and employee of such a local institution.
Nonetheless, Bailey says that she appreciates every moment of it. She might not be from Lennoxville proper, but her connection to the area runs deep, having attended Alexander Galt High School and visited this shop nearly every day since then. So, when Janice LaDuke, the original owner, decided to retire there may have been some hesitation, but Bailey could hardly resist the opportunity to grab hold of the reins and lead Black Cat into the future.
Photo courtesy of Britney Ellis Rahman
Since then, her effort has been to maintain traditions for the only English-specific bookstore in the region, like having an uncountable hoard of black cats decorating the store and also of having a sale every Friday the 13th to celebrate the store’s spooky opening day. But she has also greatly expanded the new book selection, introduced a loyalty card for dedicated readers, and begun taking special orders for any books not in stock. The store now also has an eclectic mix of stationary, postcards, mugs, hats, and various other gifts and trinkets for sale.
Black Cat Books is more than a business; it is a cultural icon in Lennoxville. We arrived in this town at the same time Black Cat and I, and I could never imagine my town without it.
Photo courtesy of Britney Ellis Rahman
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