Madison’s newest bookstore, Ink and Ivy, is a new chapter in Shannon and Eden Andersen’s artfully crafted storybook. Nestled in a romantic Tudor Revival storefront on Regent Street, this book boutique’s charm is impossible to miss. A sign out front proclaims: “Books + Autumn = Peak Gilmore Girls Energy. Read Like Rory. Talk Like Lorelai. Repeat.” For fans of this cult classic television series, it’s a fitting comparison for this shop run by a mother-daughter duo. Much like Gilmore Girls, this is a multi-generational space built on family bonds, witty conversations, and a shared love of community.
The bookshelves are filled with romance, fantasy, general fiction, cookbooks, and specialty topic books. Eden handles the book curation and scheduling author events while her mom, whose love language is gift giving, handles the boutique side.
Beside the shelves are paintings and custom felt pieces from local artists. Shannon is a painter herself and views art as therapy. For her, running this boutique with her daughter is especially meaningful after more than 5 years in remission from breast and thyroid cancer. She’s selected a section of books that helped guide her through her own illness, and has welcomed many cancer patients and survivors into their space to sit, talk, and share their common experiences.
“When you go through a critical illness, you become very aware of how precious every day is and the importance of being present and really connecting with people,” Shannon adds. “Now, we’re hugging strangers.”
The spark that ignited Eden’s journey to bookstore ownership started at Kismet Books in Verona, WI where she worked as a teenager. The store’s former owner and Eden’s mentor, Rye, showed her the ropes. Shannon describes her daughter as having a photographic memory, being able to recall every detail from her time working there, bringing that confidence to run Ink & Ivy. The relationship between Shannon and Eden is not hierarchical, but rather a flowing stream of inspiration between the two, who are constantly learning from one another.
“You teach them, and then it does sort of flip. I was struggling with this machine, and she came in and helped me,” Shannon muses, gesturing to the touchscreen point-of-sale system while Eden giggles in the background. “You know, I taught you how to use a spoon, and I taught you how to read. And now it’s your turn to teach me.”
That back-and-forth wisdom defines their partnership and provides them with the perspective to reflect on their lives and the steps they took to get to where they are. “It’s never too late to follow your dreams,” Shannon says, referencing the F. Scott Fitzgerald excerpt that’s framed on their wall. Eden reflects how the process of opening Ink & Ivy has encouraged her to slow down and live in the moment. “I was living like a tornado for a while,” she says about her experience working in a hospital as a nursing assistant, with little time to think about what was going to happen next.
While she talks, she wraps decorative ivy ribbon around kraft paper packaging. “I’m someone who’s always thinking about the future and what I can be doing to get there faster,” Eden says. Those little packages she’s wrapping are called “Blind Dates with a Book,” which are books that are selected by Eden, but a mystery to the customer, and include a brief description of what journey this story may take you on.
At Ink & Ivy, this choose-your-own-adventure attitude is woven through every conversation, every shelf, and every piece of art that hangs on their walls. Through books, art, and the bonds of family, Shannon and Eden have created a space where the community can share stories, laughter, a cup of tea, and experience a little bit of magic.
By Liz Peterson Sidor
