richie and unwavering giants fan stops by habitually, often with the wedge for gauthier. toby owns the bookshop outright, yet he doesn't think of it as his shop. he says he's merely the custodian. it is the bookshop, not toby, who has a relationship to the customers. likewise, able, camille, greg, richie, the procrastinating writers and editors, dr. gary the rheumatologist who was diagnosed a bookseller with shingles over by the biographies, henry the broadway composer who makes melodies from random lines and ran books, in the parade volunteers who helped wrap gifts in december and share popcorn tins hidden under the counter are all referred to by the same title, friend of the shop. they have an attachment to the shop and the shop to them. sometimes loved ones will phone with news that a longtime customer has died.d. the bookstore ought to know. lies isn't just another regional outlet. the quintessential shop around the corner is part of what makes the village feel like a village. it has charm, personality, and soul. more than anything, toby doesn't want to screw it up. a