Lorelei Lures Booklovers to Vicksburg

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On the Sunday following Thanksgiving, Laura and Troy Weeks opened Lorelei Books in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The two had moved to Vicksburg from Virginia and purchased an 1870s building in the historic downtown in 2005.

They then undertook a time-consuming renovation, transforming a 1,600-square-foot former ground floor Pilates studio into the bookstore and creating a home for themselves on the dilapidated second floor.

"[The upstairs] hadn't been touched in decades," Laura Weeks told BTW. "It took us 18 months to completely remodel the second floor. Fortunately, the downstairs studio had bathroom and laundry facilities, so we lived there until the work was done upstairs."

Lorelei Books is located next door to the popular Highway 61 Coffeehouse. "We have had discussions with the owner about possibly connecting the two," Weeks said. Above the cafe is an art gallery, which complements both businesses. The street is also home to a number of small retailers, gift stores, and antique shops.

To make the most of holiday sales, a Black Friday opening was planned, but construction issues delayed the opening for several days. "We felt that opening right after Thanksgiving was the next best thing," Weeks told BTW. "And Christmas sales turned out to be better than we anticipated."


Troy and Laura Weeks

A 20-year veteran of the health care industry, Weeks studied the book business assiduously in preparation for the store's opening. "The ABA and [the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance] have been my strongest sources of support. I've also networked with other booksellers, like Richard Howorth from Square Books in Oxford -- he has been extremely helpful."

Lorelei Books specializes in local history, and Weeks emphasizes the regional aspect of every category. Its location in Vicksburg, a notable Civil War battle site and the home of a National Military Park, made a large Civil War history collection a natural. Sidelines include note cards with photos by local artists and magazines, such as Delta, with strong regional appeal.

In another effort to set the store apart, Weeks has also welcomed books from university and small presses, such as Mississippi Politics: The Struggle for Power, 1976 - 2006 by Jere Nash and Andy Taggart (University Press of Mississippi). Lorelei Books recently hosted an offsite autographing event featuring the book's authors. This past Sunday, the store held a signing for A Virgin Grows Up (PublishAmerica), a debut novel by 87-year-old Vicksburg native Lurlene Lowe Shearer.

"I want to give time to emerging regional authors," Weeks said. "And established area authors are welcome as well."

The store also invites customers to submit comments to a monthly book review, and one is selected for posting on the store's website and in the store. The winning contributor receives a $20 store gift certificate.

The Weeks relocated to Vicksburg from Virginia Beach to change their living and working environments and to be closer to family. With the opening of the store, Laura Weeks is able to blend home life and work seamlessly. She is the store's only staff person, but Troy has a flexible work schedule and can often help. "If he hears a lot of noise downstairs," Weeks said with a laugh, "he'll come down and help me out."

With a population of less than 50,000, Vicksburg is a smaller, more closely knit community than Virginia Beach. The Weeks selected Vicksburg, in part, because, "the atmosphere of the community seems to show a preference for locally-owned businesses," Weeks said. "When we were building, people would come up and thank us for bringing an independent bookstore to town. There hadn't been one for decades."

Lorelei Books is a member of Vicksburg Main Street, the Vicksburg Warren Alliance, as well as ABA and SIBA. On the store's website under the heading "Why Buy Local?" the Weeks explain that "preservation of a city's character can be achieved by promoting independent businesses -- businesses which, across America, are in danger of being replaced by large national chains and conglomerates."

Laura Weeks continues to develop ideas to distinguish the bookstore. She anticipates making space available for meetings and knitting groups, possibly upstairs in the couple's loft apartment. "Mi casa es tu casa," Weeks said. "I wouldn't have considered something like that in other places, but this is kind of like Mayberry. People really know each other. The work/life balance I was seeking is a lot easier to maintain if you love what you do." -- Nomi Schwartz