Four Seasons Books opened in downtown Shepherdstown 25 years ago. Owners Mike and Ruth Raubertas felt like Shepherdstown was the ideal location for their business to thrive—a college town with a dedicated community of artisans and writers, close proximity to a metropolis, and a burgeoning populace of families, retirees, professionals, and students dedicated to creating a vibrant and engaging downtown.
Shop Manager Kendra Adkins believes those same business staples hold true today.
“Our small town is brimming with music, art, poetry, history, a passion for political engagement, book clubs, lectures, and even a storytelling series,” she said. “The list goes on, and we get to be involved with this personal exchange of ideas and beliefs every day.”
Four Seasons believes in the power of the written word and its influence on the development and trajectory of an individual life, as well as a larger community. The open exchange and discussion of ideas has always been essential within the shop—and Adkins has seen how this formula can influence larger movements.
“Books matter—access to books matters,” she emphasized. “As a business, we’ve grown right along with our community, and we hope to do that for many years to come.”
Located comfortably at 116 West German Street, Four Seasons offers two book clubs: Four Seasons Books and the newest edition, Europa Dinner Club. Partnering with Shepherdstown restaurant Domestic, the Europa Dinner Club meets once a month, and enjoys different plates from all over the world. For a reasonable fee (tickets can be purchased in the book store), participants receive a family style dinner the second Thursday of each month, as well as a copy of each month’s book—April’s was The Hottest Dishes of TarTar Cuisine.
Four Seasons also provides an ideal location for writers, as it maintains an official ‘Come Write In’ business status. Writers should feel free to take advantage of the quiet space, and get the creative juices going. This service is yet another perk that the shop is pleased to offer the community—which, in turn, benefits sustainability.
“We are beyond grateful that we’ve had such tremendous and loyal support from the larger Shepherdstown community,” Adkins said. “And we are just as grateful that we get to be participants in what helps make our community so vibrant.”
For more information, visit the above Four Seasons link and and find Four Seasons Books on Facebook.
By Lena Camilletti