Come one, come all and take in the nostalgic scenery of this quaint lil’ bookstore! My son and I were left riveted by its inviting spirit and addictive charm. With cogent resemblance of what used to be a family-owned pharmacy, its image-covered walls and cherry wood built-ins still oozed authentic grace and lingering hints of an importance to a once bustling, tight knits community when a name like Oscar Wilde was a simple common place among friends and neighbors alike.
From the moment we stepped over the threshold, a thinly veiled ray of nostalgic sunlight instantly overtook every delighted breath seeping from my lungs, transporting us to a time when thoughts of any of their own being seen as a stranger didn’t exist.
Irish tunes fox-trotted lowly in the background, giving us the energy that this historical gem was juicy and ripe for the picking and would satisfy our eager curiosity.
This trice was classical and at the same time enchanting, to say the least…
The friendly End Keep greeted us with a heartfelt grin and before long shared priceless memories of an estoic period, releasing glorious visions of what once was within every syllable he spoke. My lust for literary knowledge propelled me down a fascinating rabbit hole from which I didn’t want to ever return.
The past was never so intoxicating, as he told of factual nuggets you’d never find written in any non-fictional tale, unless the author had steep endemic ties to the district. By the end of his portrayal, a visual painting the likes of Jack Yeats, was damp on the canvas of our youthful imagination.
I was so addicted to gaudy thoughts of the old country, I wanted to buy a literary gem just to be written into the eclectic pages of its vibrant existence one day.
Although he invited us to return later for a French book reading and perhaps some fetching music afterwards, the moment was not to be (logistics is a nightmare).
Still, the darling moment will forever be imprinted on our souls. I, for one cannot wait to return home to the States and digest both novels purchased there (Ulysses & Sarah Hamilton’s latest) and remember the day Sweny became apart of our neighborhood too.
P.S if you visit the area, don’t just snap a pic of the exterior. Venture in further… the experience will truly enrich your lives!