Laura and Troy Weeks, owners of Lorelei Books, have decided to retire and are seeking new owners for their bookstore, Lorelei Books, located on Washington Street in downtown Vicksburg.

We surely hope they are successful in their search.

The Weeks have owned Lorelei for about 10 years. They own the building at 1103 Washington in which the bookstore is located and would like to sell both in order to retire and move to the coastal area of North Carolina, where they already own property.

“We had planned to retire in coastal North Carolina, and we already own property there that’s ready for us to just move into. We had a conversation about timing in life. It’s one of those things, and it came down to why not now?” Weeks said.

Kudos to the Weeks for seizing the day. While we’re happy for them, this community will miss their involvement, and will miss Lorelei.

Operating an independent bookstore in these days of Amazon and big box books stores must be difficult, but some do thrive. Lorelei has been one of those.

Lorelei Books has been an integral part of downtown Vicksburg. The Weekses have been involved in the community and have hosted booksignings and other events which have brought residents and tourists alike into the downtown area.

Steve Yates, associate director and marketing director at University Press of Mississippi, said he has worked with Lorelei Books since it first opened. He said the store helped connect authors with the community.

If the store closes, Yates thinks the community will lose an important connection.

The Weeks aren’t pulling up stakes because the bookstore is failing. In fact, it’s a business that operates in the black, Yates said.

“How wonderful that they’re doing this when their business is absolutely profitable and in the black. That’s a testimony to Vicksburg and a testimony to the way they’ve been embraced there. That’s not the usual storyline for a bookstore closing,” Yates said.

If you’ve ever thought about owning your own business, maybe now is the time. Perhaps it’s you who needs to seize the day.