Finding Friends Across the Pond

Going through some photos the other day, I realized that I never posted about this cute little Christian bookstore my family and I visited during our 2017 summer vacation to Europe.  We spotted it on our first day in Edinburg, Scotland, when we were walking from our hotel to Edinburg Castle. 

It’s always such a fun treat for me when I run across a Christian bookstore, whether in or outside the United States, because it gives me the opportunity to introduce myself, say hello, and thank the staff for helping to get my books into the hands of readers. When we saw the small sign for the Free Church of Scotland Christian Book Shop, we made an instant detour.

Alas, the place was closed. Disappointed, I asked my hubby to snap a picture of me in front of the beautiful old building, which was built in 1860, and then we continued on our way.

On To the Castle

At least the castle was open–and really cool, as you can see from these pics.

If At First You Don’t Succeed

The next day, we happened to be headed in the same general direction and decided to try again with the bookstore. This time, we were in luck. Though small, the place held a nice selection of inspirational nonfiction and children’s books, and the lovely lady in charge was quite friendly and helpful.

Their fiction section was tiny, just one short shelf, down low, but I posed in front of it anyway.J As I stood there next to books by authors like Francine Rivers and Stormie O’Martian, it struck me how fun it was to be all the way across the Atlantic yet still be flanked by the same great Christian authors that can be found in our own bookstores here at home. The world is big—but it’s moments like these that make it feel just a little bit smaller.

Mindy with Francine Rivers, in 2007

Mindy with Stormie O'Martian, in 2005

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to check out these two as well, about some fun literary discoveries my family and I made during this same trip.