Wendy Hudson, owner of Nantucket Bookworks, drives away in the autographed "Penguin orange" Mini Cooper she's using to promote her store.
Take the ferry to Nantucket and it is only two-and-a-half blocks — as the penguin waddles — from the terminal up Broad street to Nantucket Bookworks.
It's an independent bookshop that has been there for 39 years — kind of an island version of the movie "You've Got Mail." Besides being a great place for your summer reading needs and books on Nantucket, it's home to a signature vehicle, a one-of-a-kind Mini Cooper autographed by famous authors.
A year ago, to celebrate its 75th year in publishing, Penguin Books created an "Anniversary-Mobile" — a 2010 Penguin-orange Mini-Cooper with black Penguin logos on the door and hood. The car toured the country, piling up 16,000 miles and promoting literacy, The Nature Conservancy, and Penguin authors along the way.
At various book parties, 18 authors signed the dashboard, including Pulitzer Prize winners William Kennedy and Geraldine Brooks and New York Times bestsellers Michael Pollan, Sue Monk Kidd, Jan Karon, and Rosanne Cash.
The Mini's travels generated a story in the book industry publication Shelf Awareness. Wendy Hudson, owner of Bookworks, saw the article and was intrigued by the Mini's provenance. After the tour, Penguin planned to sell the car with the proceeds benefiting the New York Public Library, and Hudson found the ad on AutoTrader.com back in December and, after much hesitation, bought it in March.
"We knew she really wanted the Mini," said Bookworks staffer Suzanne Keller, "but she was like, 'Should I or shouldn't I?' We were all excited when she did."
Full story at Boston Globe
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