KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — Emma Wilson walks over to one of the shelves at Lupine Books , the new shop she has opened in Dock Square, and plucks a popular children’s story from among the titles.
It’s a copy of “Miss Rumphius,” the classic story written by Maine author Barbara Cooney, about a woman who plants lupines to help make the world a more beautiful place. Indeed, right there on the cover, you can see the floral namesake of Wilson’s brand-new business.
“I thought about the name a lot,” Wilson said. “I think lupines are just classic Maine, but in a different way. It’s not like the pine tree. It’s like the start of summer. It’s June. It’s more like the wild or different parts of Maine. I didn’t want an ocean theme.”
Not only did Cooney’s tale inspire the name of Wilson’s shop, but its illustrations also influenced the décor of the bookstore. Flipping through the pages, you see the same soft colors that you do on the walls and elsewhere at Lupine Books.
Wilson, who teaches Spanish at Sea Road School in Kennebunk, is a lifelong reader. While new to owning a business, she is no stranger to the space her shop occupies. She worked there for four years when the space was home to Fine Print, a bookstore Kristen Kuehnle owned and operated until late last year.
According to Wilson, when Kuehnle started talking about ending her ownership of Fine Print, she had expressed hopes the space could remain a bookshop. For Wilson, that was when the idea — the opportunity for her to turn her dream into a reality — clicked.
“I’ve always loved working here. I’ve always wanted to have a bookstore in the community,” said Wilson, who grew up in Kennebunk and graduated from RSU 21 in 2009.
Wilson is a lifelong reader who credits her parents with instilling a love of books.
“I’ve always loved, loved books and am obsessed with reading,” she said. “I always wanted, at first, to work at a bookstore and then, after that, to have my own.”
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New bookstore gets off to a wet start
Wilson officially bought the store on Jan. 1 and was ready to launch her new endeavor, carrying many of the traditions that made Fine Print beloved, but also giving the place her own name and style.
Ten days after signing on the dotted line, however, a heavy storm hit Maine and flooded Kennebunkport and other coastal communities. The inside of Wilson’s new shop was flooded with inches of water. The place needed repairs.
“We had to get all new floors, and then we had to replace the walls,” Wilson said. “It was hard. I’m still worrying about it happening again in the future. But we went through it and made the best of it. At least it happened in January when it was not super busy.”
Fortunately, the bottom shelves in Wilson’s shop were elevated, so all the books were spared from the flood.
After weeks of repairs and renovations, Wilson was able to open Lupine Books in March. The staff that had worked for Kuehnle had stayed on board, so Wilson was able to open her new shop’s doors while she taught at Sea Road School during weekdays.
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Lupine Books offers something for everyone
The shop offers a variety of genres for readers of all ages, according to Wilson.
“We have a lot of literary fiction and classics, but we also have our Maine section, our beach reads, and nonfiction,” she said. “It’s just a good, overall curated bookstore. We try to get the best of what’s out there.”
And if Lupine Books does not have a title a customer is seeking? No problem. Wilson can order it and have it shipped to the shop.
Wilson said two titles have proven particularly popular during these first months of her shop’s operation. One is “The Women,” a historical fiction written by Kristin Hannah, about a nurse who served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. The other is “The Frozen River,” a murder mystery by Ariel Lawhon.
“It’s set in Maine,” Wilson said of Lawhon’s story.
Wilson said she has a personal favorite: Elena Ferrante’s “My Brilliant Friend” series about a lifelong friendship between two women from Italy.
Does Wilson have Ferrante’s series stocked on Lupine Books’ shelves?
“I do,” she said with a smile.
Currently, the shop is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wilson said she will keep those hours well into September, perhaps even into October, and then figure out the best schedules for the fall and winter.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk teacher opens Lupine Books, a new shop in Dock Square
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