y all rights, Booktown Books, the eccentric bookstore and more, should not even exist, much less be thriving. Located in the gold country town of Grass Valley—the middle of nowhere to the uninitiated—the 24-year-old cooperative brings together nine owner-sellers, each offering distinctive merchandise. The much-revered business is more than just a retail-success oddity. When COVID-19 hit, Booktown became a place where people
