Chapter and Hearth Books

07/15/2026

"Of Water and the Spirit" is a short book (around 56 pages) by American writer Margaret Prescott Montague (1878–1955), a West Virginia author known for fiction, short stories, and some non-fiction with regional/Appalachian themes.

It appears to be a narrative or memoir-like piece and it was later anthologized (e.g., in Atlantic Narratives: Modern Short Stories).

Montague had a respectable career as a popular early 20th-century writer:

Her bigger achievements include the 1919 O. Henry Award for the short story "England to America".

Several novels (e.g., The Sowing of Alderson Cree, Calvert's Valley, Linda) were adapted into films.

Other notable works include Closed Doors (about deaf and blind children) and Twenty Minutes of Reality (a 1916 spiritual/mystical essay that got more attention).

In this book: A woman tells another while they are on their trip to America after WWI, of her experiences on the battlefield caring for the wounded and keeping them company over one long night, in which she 'met' and gave her life to Christ. She was born again by serving the needy.

07/15/2026

Signed by James Ellroy - Essential reading for anyone who craves crime fiction that hits like a sledgehammer.

The Big Nowhere, 1988 First Edition, Signed by James Ellroy

The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy is a brutal, sprawling noir masterpiece and the second novel in his legendary L.A. Quartet.

Set in 1950s Los Angeles, it weaves together three men—a ruthless sheriff’s deputy, a tormented detective, and a Red-hunting DA—whose paths collide amid a savage string of mutilation murders, Communist witch hunts, and the seedy machinations of Hollywood and the mob.

Written in Ellroy’s signature staccato, hyper-charged prose, the book delivers a nightmarish portrait of corruption, betrayal, and moral collapse in the City of Angels at its postwar zenith.

Darker and more ambitious than The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere cements Ellroy’s reputation as the king of modern noir.

And...

White Jazz, 1992 First Edition, Signed by James Ellroy

White Jazz by James Ellroy is a scorching, staccato descent into the rotten heart of 1958 Los Angeles.

Told in Ellroy’s signature telegraphic prose, the novel follows rogue LAPD Lieutenant Dave Klein—a bagman, fixer, and part-time real-estate shark—as he navigates a lethal web of mobsters, corrupt cops, predatory developers, and a vicious sex-murder case that threatens to expose the city’s dirtiest secrets.

Raw, profane, and relentlessly violent, White Jazz delivers the final, blistering chapter of Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet with jazz-like improvisation and cold-blooded precision. It’s Ellroy at his most unfiltered: a fever dream of power, betrayal, and moral freefall in the City of Angels.

Perfect for fans of hard-boiled noir that doesn’t pull punches.

07/15/2026

🚨 SIGNED COPIES! Legendary horror author Stephen Mark Rainey [ Mark Rainey ] stopped by Chapter & Hearth and signed a fresh batch of his chilling masterpieces! 🔥

Grab these personally autographed editions before they fly off the shelves:

Fugue Devil: Resurging (30th Anniversary Edition!)

Balak: A Novel of Cosmic Horror

The House at Black Tooth Pond

Plus his explosive aviation thriller!

These are one-of-a-kind collector’s items from a true master of the weird and terrifying.

Perfect for your summer reading — or that special gift for the horror fan in your life.

Come in today and snag yours while supplies last! 📚✍️

What’s your favorite Rainey book? Drop it below! 👇

07/14/2026

📖 Just unboxed some beautiful new additions to our Bible study collection!

John MacArthur’s “52 Weeks Through the Bible” looks perfect for a year-long journey deeper into God’s Word, alongside “500 Questions & Answers from the Bible” and the peaceful evening devotions in “Resting in His Shadow.”

These resources are such a timely reminder to stay rooted in Scripture every single day. Who else is committing to more consistent time in the Word this season?

07/13/2026

✨Ready for some time-traveling adventures?

📚🪄 Discover the original Magic Tree House books and the exciting Graphic Novels by Mary Pope Osborne — perfect for young readers who love magic, history, and epic quests!

Swing by Chapter & Hearth today to explore both versions and take home the perfect story for your little adventurer.

07/09/2026

📚 Time travel through pages just hit differently! ✨

The 1943 edition - that rich, slightly faded binding, the elegant lettering that’s still holding strong after 83 years, and that unmistakable old-book scent you can almost smell through the photo. Every little scuff and crease tells a story of readers who loved this book before most of us were even born. [No previous owner’s name or bookplate!]

The current paperback - crisp, clean, vibrant cover that practically glows, sharp modern typography, and pages so fresh they almost crackle when you open them.

UPDATE: I added an interior image of the 1943 edition!

Same soul, completely different energy. One feels like a treasured heirloom. The other feels like an invitation to fall in love for the first time.

Which one are you reaching for? 👀

Both are waiting for you right now at the bookstore.

Come hold history in one hand and the future in the other — we’ll even let you smell the 1943 edition if you ask nicely. 😉

Tag your reading buddy who needs to see this.
Then come visit us this week before the vintage one finds its next forever home!

07/07/2026

07/07/2026

A rare 1932 Appalachian legend just surfaced — straight from the mountains where Devil John Wright once rode!

For Sale: Rare 1932 First Edition of Devil John Wright of The Cumberlands by William T. Wright (privately published in Pound, VA)!

This is the original son’s biography of the legendary “Devil John” Wright (1844–1931) — Confederate veteran, circus performer, Pinkerton detective, lawman, and larger-than-life Appalachian outlaw-hunter from the Kentucky-Virginia border. Packed with hunting tales, family stories, moonshining country adventures, and his later religious conversion, plus original photographs including John on horseback and with his second wife Ellen.

Special provenance: Inscribed June 13, 1932, by George W. Robinson, P.M. (Postmaster) of Raven, Virginia, who wrote “Good Book!” with a checkmark. A true piece of early local Appalachian history!

Solid condition for its age. A scarce Cumberland Mountains treasure that rarely surfaces. Perfect for collectors of Virginia / KY history, genealogy, or rare regional imprints. Would make an amazing addition to any Appalachian collection!

07/06/2026

🍞✨ Just created the coziest cookbook display!

These beautiful Amish Friends cookbooks by Wanda & Brunstetter are calling my name. From “From Scratch” and “Farm-to-Table” to “Comfort Foods” and even “Outdoor Cookbook” — there’s something here for every home cook who loves simple, hearty, from-the-heart recipes.

Nothing beats flipping through pages filled with homemade breads, farm-fresh meals, and old-fashioned goodness. Perfect for gifting or adding to your own kitchen collection!

Who else loves a good Amish cookbook? Drop a ♥️ if you’d love to take one of these home!

07/05/2026

🌎✨ Three remarkable journeys across time, place, and possibility — all resting on my table today.

From the colorful pages of an 1892 Gilded Age treasure: The Life of Columbus in Pictures by L. Prang & Co., with Victor A. Searles’ vivid chromolithographs and Emily Shaw Forman’s poetic narrative. We follow a bold dreamer from the narrow streets of Genoa to the decks of the Santa Maria, chasing horizons no one had mapped before. A stunning example of late-19th-century American bookmaking that still sparks wonder.

Then there’s the intimate, grounded voice of the mountains: Gladys Edwards Willis’s scarce first printing of Goin’ Up Shootin’ Creek (Rocky Mount, Virginia). A heartfelt Appalachian memoir of life in a Franklin County hollow — hardscrabble farms, tight-knit families, and a world transformed by electricity, radios, and paved roads. Willis captures the courage and deep-rooted values of a vanishing era with honesty and love. Pure regional treasure.

And bridging past and future: the groundbreaking 1984 first edition of Women Lawyers: Perspectives on Success, edited and signed by Emily Couric. Trailblazing women attorneys share candid stories of carving out space in a male-dominated field — the obstacles, the breakthroughs, and the strategies that still resonate today.

Three very different books. One common thread: the human spirit that refuses to stay put. Whether sailing uncharted oceans, holding fast to mountain traditions while the world changes, or breaking professional barriers — these are stories of courage, adaptation, and quiet victories.

Which kind of pioneer speaks to you most? The explorer, the memory-keeper, or the barrier-breaker?