50 Years of Island Books: Lola Deane
Island Books 1973 staff with Lissa Wells, Sally Kennedy, Phyllis, Andrea Lorig, Stacie, Julia Olsen, Fam Bayliss and owner Lola Deane
This week, I have the pleasure of talking with the woman who started it all, the founder of Island Books. It's hard to imagine our Island without the bookstore, so I wanted to go back to the beginning and find out how it all began. I started by asking Lola for a short biography, and with her typical wit, here's how she came back to me and described herself:
Past - Farm girl, UW Graduate as Family Nurse Practitioner, Wife, Mother, Mercer Island resident 1957-1985 and founder of Island Books, Shaw Island resident 1985-2019. Community Volunteer/Activist.
Present - Mercer Island resident again, still a Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, resident of Covenant Shores, Volunteer at MIYS Thrift Shop in books, and still a Community/Activist with even more issues on my plate.
Future - "Who Knows what the Future Holds?" Right: Owner Laurie Raisys with founder Lola Deane under the original sign at Island Books in 2015