A Dream on Wheels: How One Bremerton Woman Is Turning Her Love of Books Into a Celebration of Women
Sometimes the most meaningful new chapters in life begin when another one unexpectedly comes to an end. For one Bremerton woman, that chapter began in September 2025 when she was laid off from her corporate job. While losing a job can bring uncertainty, fear, and countless questions about what comes next, she quickly realized something important. She did not want to return to the corporate world. Instead, she wanted to build something that reflected who she was, what she loved, and what brought her joy. She loved books, loved talking about books, and loved being surrounded by books. Before long, an idea began to take shape. She would open a bookstore with her daughter, who shares her passion for reading.
At first, she envisioned a traditional brick and mortar bookstore, but after taking an eight week entrepreneur business class through Kitsap Resources and speaking with bankers, she realized that obtaining an SBA loan as a first time business owner was not going to be easy. Then her husband came across a mobile bookstore on TikTok and suggested they consider taking the bookstore on the road instead. That simple suggestion became the spark that changed everything. Rather than letting the obstacles stop her dream, she found another way forward. Together, she and her husband created something truly unique, a bookstore on wheels that can bring the magic of books directly to the community.
Her first market was April 11, and since then, the excitement has continued to grow. What makes her business so special is that it is not simply a place to purchase a book. It is an experience. Her mobile bookstore can show up where people already love to gather, creating an unexpected opportunity to browse, discover, connect, and perhaps find a book that becomes a new favorite. She hopes to expand into collaborations with wineries, wine bars, breweries, coffee shops, book clubs, birthday celebrations, bridal showers, girls’ nights out, and other gatherings. Now that her website is complete, she is excited to begin marketing these experiences even more.
At the center of the business is a mission that is deeply personal. She intentionally stocks books across six different genres, and every single book is written by a woman. Her goal is to celebrate women and their accomplishments while creating a space that amplifies female voices. She recognizes that throughout history, women’s voices have often been overlooked or silenced, and she wants her bookstore to be a small but meaningful place where those voices can be heard. Every book represents an opportunity to discover a new perspective, enter another person's world, experience a different life, or simply escape reality for a little while.
Her love for books is genuine, and that passion is one of the most beautiful parts of her story. She jokes that she gets to talk about books all the time and read them because reading is now part of her business. Her favorite genres include historical fiction and romantasy, and she has a particular soft spot for stories involving dragons and direwolves. Authors such as Kristin Hannah, Jodi Picoult, Kristin Harmel, Tana French, and Rebecca Yarros are among her favorites. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and it is easy to understand why she wants her bookstore to become a place where women who love books can find not only their next five star read, but also their people.
Her connection to Bremerton makes this journey even more meaningful. She has lived in the community since she was 17 and graduated from Olympic High School. Long before becoming a business owner, she was already giving her time and talents to the community. She taught swimming lessons at the Bremerton Pool, taught aerobics at Elaine Powers, Living Well Lady and the YMCA, worked as a special education assistant at PineCrest, worked for local periodontists, and operated her own home daycare. In fact, this is not even her first experience as a business owner. From 1995 to 1999, she ran her own home daycare in Bremerton. After eventually entering the corporate world, she never could have known that years later she would find herself starting another business, this time one built around her lifelong love of
books.
She is the first to admit that she has learned much of the business journey by simply jumping in and figuring things out along the way. She has discovered that she loves the marketing, buying, selling, and creative side of entrepreneurship, although she is considerably less enthusiastic about the bookkeeping and taxes. A women’s business retreat also helped her discover new ideas about marketing and raised her expectations for what the business could become. Through the process, she has learned that she is far more capable and creative than she may have realized, and she wakes up each day excited about what she can do next.
Behind the bookstore is also a remarkable love story. Her husband has been her biggest supporter throughout the entire journey, and his contribution has been much more than emotional encouragement. He built the inside of the trailer that became her mobile bookstore, helping turn an idea into something tangible. When she reflects on her most rewarding investment in the business, her answer is wonderfully heartfelt. She says it was marrying her husband. His belief in her dream and willingness to build it alongside her have made this adventure something they share together. After a successful market, they often celebrate with dinner and a drink, usually at the Cloverleaf Bar and Grill in Bremerton.
What she is proudest of is not simply having a business. It is that she took a chance. She took a chance on herself, trusted that her husband could help bring the vision to life, and believed that people would still fall in love with books. One of the things that has surprised her most is discovering just how much women love to read. That realization has only strengthened the mission behind her business.
Looking toward the future, she hopes the mobile bookstore becomes much more than a place to buy books. She wants it to help people find connection. She wants book lovers to find their people, discover stories that stay with them, and create memories around reading. She also dreams of eventually collaborating with Scarlet Road, an organization she has volunteered with for the past several years, and finding a meaningful way for her business to give back to the community.
Her life outside the bookstore is filled with the same warmth and energy that she brings to her business. She enjoys hiking, reading, spending time with her two German Shepherds, discovering fun local restaurants, and enjoying a hearty Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley or Yakima Valley. She is also a proud Nana to five sweet grandchildren. Her life is filled with stories in more ways than one. She even competed in the Junior Olympics in the 100 meter breaststroke in 1977 and once taught Olympic swimmer Nathan Adrian and his sister how to swim at the Bremerton Pool.
Perhaps that is what makes her story so special. This mobile bookstore is not simply a business created to sell books. It is the result of a woman choosing to believe that there was another chapter waiting for her. It is the result of a husband who believed in her enough to build the dream with his own hands. It is a celebration of women, stories, community, creativity, and second chances.
A traditional bookstore waits for customers to walk through its doors. This bookstore does something different. It takes the doors with it.
It brings books to people. It brings women’s voices into the community. It creates opportunities for strangers to become friends and readers to find their people. Most importantly, it reminds us that it is never too late to begin a new chapter.
Sometimes all it takes is the courage to turn the page.
Make sure you get in touch with TBR for our book club book. The Book of Magic the second in the Practical magic series.
