A Literary Oasis In The Heart Of Nantucket Town

About Melanie Gowen

I love beer and books and Nantucket and am so grateful to be following those passions as the owner of Nantucket Bookworks and Mitchell's Book Corner and as the co-founder of Cisco Brewers. After growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I arrived on Nantucket in 1988 during a summer break from Smith College to work at Bartlett's Farm. I was a philosophy major in search of the good life, and found it on the island... so I kept coming back, and back, and stayed for good after meeting my husband Randy in 1992. We have two kids in the high school here and with all this action we are busy busy. The fabulous Melanie Gowen, a realtor with years of experience in hospitality, serves as property manager for me, so she will likely be the front line helping you with your stay. No doubt I'll be breezing around though and am happy to help however I can. Cheers!

Why Melanie Gowen chose Nantucket Town

I began working at Bookworks in 1995 (same year we started the brewery) and in 1999 the then owners decided to sell. Huzzah it was my chance to realize my dream of bookstore ownership! My parents bought the real estate as an investment, and I bought the store. It was a one story building that was slowly returning to the earth, and in 2014 it was finally time to renovate. We added a second story and basement to help cover the costs of the renovation, so we can keep the bookstore at a rent it can support. We hope it will be a win/win for all.

What makes this Apartment unique

In designing the apartment, I asked myself "What belongs in a bookstore apartment?" The answer was obvious. Books! So we have thousands. A wall of hardcovers that I hope stays, and a loft wall full of advance readers that our guests are welcome to keep. I wanted a clean yet warm aesthetic, so kilim rugs, a leather couch, and found objects accent a clean white space with dark wood floors and a gorgeous kitchen featuring brass and open wood shelving. For anyone who knows Nantucket, you already know that the location is superb for those who want to be in the heart of the action. In my humble opinion there is simply no place more fun than Nantucket for fine dining and night life in season. In the off season, this apartment would be the perfect place to retreat to write. Climb the spiral staircase and find a wonderful little desk (actually built by my great-grandfather in Michigan) that makes a perfect writer's garret. I suspect Emily Dickinson or Mark Twain would be right at home.