ST. ALBANS, WV (WOWK) – A new bookstore dedicated to the memory of the owner’s late husband just opened in St. Albans.

Appalachian Books’ owner, Loren Lynn Tuitt, said this new business is dedicated to her late husband, Charlie Tee. Tee was known for playing in the local band “The Carpenter Ants.”

“I have books for everyone. Not just bestsellers, but books that I’ve carefully collected over the last 20-some years,” Tuitt said.

Tuitt and her late husband dreamed of opening a bookstore together and making St. Albans a better place for everyone.

“During COVID quarantine, our dream was to open a small bookstore, and he would make little baked goods, and I would run the store. Then, he died of COVID [on] Dec. 18, 2021,” Tuitt said.

Over a year and a half after Tee’s death, Tuitt said making their dream a reality is special to her, but it wouldn’t have been possible without her husband’s impact on her life.

“I miss him very much. He was my rock and my backbone. One of the very few people who can tell me ‘Lynn, bring it down a notch,’ and I would listen to him,” Tuitt said. “I feel him in here. I feel his love, and his smile lit up a room, and I miss that horribly.”

Tuitt said her focus is including everyone and making sure there are book options for all interests at an affordable price.

“If someone comes here, and they want a book, and they don’t have the money, I’ll give it to them though because it’s so important to pass it on,” Tuitt said. “I grew up as a reader. My late husband was a librarian.”

She said she opened Appalachian Books to honor her husband, but it ended up making her life better too.

“This is just a labor of love and a dream come true,” Tuitt said.  

Appalachian Books is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located at 808 B Street on the upper floor of the building.