At the heart of this cozy coffee shop lies a big sister's love for her little brother
The Science of Siblings is a new series exploring the ways our siblings can influence us, from our money and our mental health all the way down to our very molecules. We'll be sharing these stories over the next several weeks.
There's a coffee shop in the historic center of Charles Town, W.Va., where Libby Powell's family memorabilia hang from the exposed brick walls.
On one shelf, there's a photo of Libby posing with her towheaded baby brother. A jar of oatmeal-and-butterscotch cookies called Salty Siblings perches by the cash register. An elegant copper roaster parked in the shop's front bay window churns out the store's custom blends, including a popular one with Ethiopian beans named after that baby brother: The Benjamin.
Powell named this place Sibling Coffee Roasters — and it stands as a testament to one of her most cherished relationships.
Powell was already 14 and in high school when her brother, Benjamin Withem, was born 34 years ago. By that time she'd already thought, for good or for ill.
