The Bookloft welcomes you!

Browse through a selection of recommended reading including staff favorites, local authors & regional history. We ship anywhere and we’re happy to help with special orders and out of print book searches.

Find out what The Bookloft owner, Mary Swanson has read lately, plus new fall releases and new books of local interest

About The Bookloft 

For 33 years The Bookloft has been home to good books for all of the readers in Wallowa County.  Small and selective, the store reflects the unique flavor of our beautiful location.  Wallowa County is located in the extreme northeast corner of Oregon. We are surrounded by the Wallowa Mountains and Hells Canyon, the gorge of the Snake River.

Not only are we surrounded by incredible natural beauty, begging to be explored, but there is also rich cultural history here.  The Wallowa Valley was home to the Nez Perce Indians and their most famous chief, Joseph.  The terrible flight of the Nez Perce during the war of 1877 began here.  Wallowa Valley history also reflects the saga of the west in its transitions from explorers to mountain men and miners, to homesteaders, to loggers and ranchers and now including artists, writers and musicians.

The Bookloft reflects this rich diversity on its shelves full of books about the Nez Perce and the settlers who followed, hiking guides, maps and field guides.  We also have fabulous reads of all kinds for booklovers of all ages. 

We have been served really good coffee and espresso for most of those 33 years.  The coffee shop is a great place to hang out and meet new or old friends.  The Skylight Gallery is the oldest gallery still in existence in the county.  We showcase the amazing photography of Enterprise’s own David Jensen, Olaf pottery by long-time Alder Slope resident Ted Juve,  Fireworks pottery created by Jim and Ann Shelly in their studio along Hurricane Creek, stunning blown glass by Wallowa glass artist Russell Ford. We also feature South Fork Silverworks jewelry by Lostine jeweler, Annie Robinson, and Shady Ladys necklaces and earrings by  Enterprise jeweler, Viki Abram. 

Wallowa County connections 

Our unique and wonderful valley has drawn many interesting people to it over the years.  Renowned historian Alvin Josephy discovered it in the 1950s. He not only became a part-time resident, but was inspired by the Nez Perce story to write the definitive book on their history. William O. Douglas was also a sometime resident and wrote about his adventures in the Wallowas.  More recently, true crime writer Ann Rule wrote her book, Heart Full of Lies about a murder that occurred here and Wallowa Valley became the setting of the national best-seller, The Shack. 

Award-winning geologist and photographer, Ellen Morris Bishop lived here for a time and wrote her incredible geologic history of Oregon, In Search of Ancient Oregon.  Biographer Alfred Habegger also makes his home here in the north end of the county.  His most recent book, My Wars Are Laid Away in Books. A biography of Emily Dickinson won the Oregon book award in 2003.  

Mary's Top 10 Favorite Books from 2009

THE YIDDISH POLICEMAN’S UNION by Michael Chabon 15.95 Harper
THE LEGEND OF COLTON H. BRYANT by Alexandra Fuller 15.00 Penguin

SONATA FOR MIRIAM by Linda Olsson 15.00 Penguin
DREAMERS OF THE DAY by Mary Doria Russell 14.00 Ballantine
MY STROKE OF INSIGHT by Jill Bolte Taylor 15.00 Plume
THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG by Muriel Barbery 15.00 Europa
THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT by Kate DiCamillo 16.99 Candlewick
THE LACUNA by Barbara Kingsolver 26.99 Harper
ORDINARY WOLVES by Seth Kantner 14.95 Milkweed
EX LIBRIS by Ross King 15.00 Penguin

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