Abi Hooper, An Employee of the ‘Book Review’ with Clare Lygo, Who Has Owned the Business for the Past Five Years.  Hooper, an Avid Book Reader, Said She Plans to Stay on Under the New Ownership.

The ‘Book Review’. located in the Falmouth Shopping Center, Will Officially Change Ownership December 31, 2021.

“It’s been a tough couple of years with COVID and I think it was the right time to sell,” said Clare Lygo, who has owned Falmouth’s ‘Book Review’ for the past five years this afternoon.

Lygo approached Jeff Curtis, owner of Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shops, several months ago to see if he would be interested in purchasing the book store that is located on Route 1 in the Falmouth Shopping Center.  Curtis and his wife were immediately interested Lygo said.  The ownership change takes affect on Friday, December 31.

A major change is a planned expansion that will roughly double the size of the current space.  The next door empty space that once housed a restaurant will accommodate the latest addition to the chain of Curtis bookstores – all of which are known for their large inventories – unequaled by other bookstores within Portland city limits.

Sherman’s, the oldest bookstore in Maine, began in Bar Harbor 135 years ago.  Back in 2014 the chain opened its first store in Portland at 49 Exchange Street. Despite the pandemic, business at Sherman’s has flourished.  Because of that the chain has opened more bookstores in recent months.  Most recently, Curtis and his wife.opened new bookstores in Windham, Topsham and Rockland..

“I will kickback for a while.  That is until the next venture comes along,” said Lygo today.