The Milton Square complex welcomes a new bookshop to the cozy St. Anthony Park business village. Owned and operated by Rachael Ostrom, Acorn Bookshop celebrated its grand opening March 24, with a mission to highlight female authors, uplift local businesses and share stories of their own built within its very shelves.
Ostrom’s love for reading has traversed her entire life, a passion she traces back to reading Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” for the first time in the third grade.
This literary curiosity was cultivated early on by her parents, Randy and Barb Hemstad. Drawing from their respective careers in teaching and nursing, they naturally and consistently encouraged their children to read.
“That’s something we always promoted — the importance of reading and the knowledge you gain from that,” Randy Hemstad said.
That childhood foundation remained steady even as Ostrom built a successful 25-year-long marketing career at Aveda.
“Throughout all of that [professional career], I’m a ferocious reader,” Ostrom said, while making note of her “passion around learning something new, learning about new people, et cetera.”
Ostrom’s lifelong interest eventually began to take a more tangible form.
The dream of opening her own bookshop manifested during monthly “book crawls” with one of her nieces, Meera Ostrom. As the pair explored various bookstores, they pulled inspiration from the stores they visited and shared new ideas for the shop they hoped to one day open.
After Ostrom left her job at Aveda last summer, the opportunity to open her dream bookshop appeared with striking clarity when a specific storefront became available for lease — the very same space that once held Micawber’s Books, the bookstore she used to frequent with her family.
Following a quick email exchange where Ostrom shared her vision for the space, the landlord was pleased to hear she intended to open a bookstore and was happy to offer her the lease.
Once the shop keys were finally in hand, Ostrom admits the transition was a little scary, but her desire to build a space rooted in community drove her passion to transform the empty shop into what it is today.
“I wanted to build a space that was for communities; a place where people wanted to hang out and they didn’t feel like they had to come in and just buy a book,” Ostrom said.
Upon entering, guests are welcomed by forest green floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and navy blue center displays filled with genres ranging from young adult favorites to historical fiction. Cozy seating is tucked throughout the space, inviting visitors to stay for more than a quick browse.
One of the first featured displays in the shop showcases sustainability novels and acorn-themed children’s books. Peyton Taylor, another of Ostrom’s nieces, shares that the shop’s name comes from her aunt’s love for the 200-year-old oak trees in Ostrom’s own yard.
“She could have named it something like ‘Oak Tree Bookstore,’ but the acorn is the starting point of the oak tree,” Taylor said. “ I think it’s a great way to think about spreading messages.”
Acorn Bookshop welcomes guests of all ages to settle into its community-centered atmosphere. Beyond the curated shelves, visitors can contribute to the community puzzle in the front bay window or relax with a warm cup of complimentary tea or coffee in one of the cozy loveseats or built-in reading nooks.
The shop remains true to its mission of uplifting local voices and makers by featuring a dedicated selection of local Minnesota authors alongside goods and cards from local women-owned businesses. Extending even to the front counter, an ‘artist vending machine’ stocked with pins, buttons, stickers and charms is available with a purchase of a $5 token.
Reflecting on the shop’s first two weeks, Ostrom shares a sense of gratitude and awe at the immediate support it has garnered. From friends and family to the broader Twin Cities book community and beyond, the response has been undeniable.
When looking toward the future, she hopes to continue fostering a space where local communities feel welcomed to walk through her door. Her vision includes hosting a variety of gatherings, from children’s story times and book clubs to birthday parties and author events.
“I’m just blown away, I just want this to continue,” Ostrom said with a heartfelt smile.
