By: Richelle Putnam, Magnolia Tribune
(Photo courtesy of Sara Worsham)
On February 24, Sara Worsham opened The Next Chapter Bookshop in the city of Leland.
“I am excited and relieved,” Worsham said. “The response from the community has been amazing.”
Worsham’s dream of opening a bookstore stemmed from personal loss and a deep-rooted love of reading. Her mother was a librarian, her father an avid reader. Surrounded by books, Worsham carried this passion into adulthood, even spending years writing book reviews for a local newspaper.
However, the possibility of pursuing a bookstore took on new meaning for Worsham after the unexpected passing of her father in May 2017.
“It was through him I was able to set aside the funds that would be used to open the bookshop,” Worsham said.
Her idea took shape in 2018, but the journey was far from simple. Selling her grandparents’ home, facing the COVID-19 pandemic, and waiting for the historic building’s restoration slowed progress, yet Worsham remained confident.
“I can’t say I ever felt like it wouldn’t happen because I was so determined to see it through,” she said.
In 2022, Worsham heard that Sherry Smythe might open a bookstore.
“At first, I thought, ‘Oh no, I’ve waited too late,’” Worsham recalled. But in the conversation that followed, Worsham realized she was just in time. “I told her my vision of what I wanted to do, and it sparked from there,” she said.
This collaboration began to feel tangible when Smythe and her daughter showed Worsham and her mother the building plans for the space that would house the bookstore.
“That was an exciting day,” Worsham said.
And the building has its own story. Around the 1950s or 1960s, it was home to Frances Turner’s Dress Shop, according to Worsham. In later years, it housed several small businesses before falling into disrepair and becoming vacant. Today, the revitalized space has started its next chapter—as a bookstore.
Opening the first bookstore in Leland carries special significance for Worsham.
“It means a great deal to me to offer something to the community that we have desperately needed for many years,” she said. “Not just selling books, but all the other ways the space will offer. I am honored to be part of Leland’s history as the first bookstore, and I don’t take any of it for granted.”
The Next Chapter Bookshop offers new books in genres like mystery, science fiction, fantasy, history, and more, with a special Southern section featuring regional titles. Still, Worsham hopes the shop is more than just books, gifts, and handmade items.
“I want people to feel comfortable, like they are visiting an old friend,” she said. “I want to be a positive place for people who need to escape the real world for a bit.”
Reflecting Worsham’s vision for community engagement, events are already filling the calendar. The shop will host a book signing and art show on March 28, followed by another book signing on May 2. A children’s story hour is also underway, and local book clubs have already expressed interest in meeting at the shop.
Worsham believes bookstores offer what technology can’t.
“Bookstores matter because they offer an experience, not just books for purchase,” she said. “It’s about human connection. One of the best things in life, in my opinion, is how books connect people and create lifelong friends.”
Opening The Next Chapter Bookshop also represents the next chapter in Worsham’s life, the beginning of something new from a dream that is almost as old as Worsham herself.
“It’s never too late to start over or pursue your dream,” she said.
When asked to name a book that reflects her journey, Worsham chose Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson.
“I absolutely love the idea that a chance meeting between two people resulted in both being changed forever,” she said. “I think books can be similar in a way when two people bond over a certain book.”
In Leland, that kind of connection now has a place to happen — one page at a time, chapter to chapter.
The Next Chapter Bookshop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Leland. Worsham said she may consider closing at 4 p.m. on Saturdays in the future.