When we first started dreaming up Petrichor Bookstore, I imagined a cozy brick-and-mortar space filled with shelves of thoughtfully chosen books and people lingering over conversations about their latest reads. It was going to be a community spot, a little quiet corner of the world to share stories and ideas. That vision is still very much alive—but it’s evolving in a way I didn’t expect.
A few weeks ago, Mallory and I were catching up with a close friend, Michelle, talking through the challenges and logistics of finding the right space in Boston. Real estate is expensive (no surprise there), and the timelines for permits, renovations, and all the behind-the-scenes pieces were stretching longer than we hoped.
That’s when our friend tossed out a simple question: “What if it wasn’t a traditional store? What if you did a book truck instead?”
I laughed at first. But a mobile bookstore could bring books to people where they are: parks, farmers markets, neighborhood events. We talked about freedom, creativity, and sustainability. I listened. I pushed back. And then I listened more.
And honestly? It’s brilliant.
The more we talked it through, the more it clicked. A mobile bookstore gives us the chance to build community across neighborhoods, to show up with stories where they’re needed most. It’s more flexible, more adaptable, and it opens the door to possibilities we hadn’t considered before—like seasonal pop-ups, collaborations with local artists, and even taking the bookstore on little road trips.
So now we’re in it. We’re designing a mobile version of Petrichor. It’s still going to be rooted in all the things we care about: good books, good conversations, and showing up for people. It’ll just be on wheels.
I’m excited (and a little nervous). But more than anything, I’m grateful—for the people in our lives who help us see things from a new angle, and for Mallory, who never stops dreaming up ways to make things more connected, more meaningful, and more fun.
More soon,
Christopher