Minding the Store: A Big Story About a Small Business
By Julie Gaines, Illustrated by Ben Lenovitz
(Algonquin Books)
The checkerboard logo and quirky name that has been part of the lives of New Yorkers for 30 years gets a charming origin story in Minding the Store, a graphic memoir tracking the evolution of vintage tableware store Fishs Eddy. The story follows husband and wife Julie Gaines and David Lenovitz as they go from 20-somethings dumpster diving to find the perfect kitchen stuff to fill their new shop, to parents balancing family and business across boroughs. The book is just as much a family affair as the business; Gaines weaves the story, but it’s her son who illustrates the panels. Minding the Store is full of nostalgia, as any book about New York before the aughts has to be, but its spirit also seems to offer hope for the future. (5/5)
By Molly Horan
Minding the Store: A Big Story About a Small Business was released October 30, 2018
This article originally appeared in the March/April print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
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