Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Heartleaf Books

Located in Providence, Rhode Island, Heartleaf Books is our indie bookstore partner for our September 2025 Literary Road Trip Box. As I'm writing this post, Heartleaf Books is celebrating its third anniversary. Heartleaf Books was founded by siblings Caroline and Mads Vericker, and within a year of opening, they transitioned from being a pop-up store to a brick and mortar location.

Heartleaf Books is a hybrid co-op, allowing bookstore patrons to purchase a share in the store. They have a seven member board of directors, which includes Caroline and Mads. Running the bookstore as a cooperative fosters a real sense of community, allowing members to have a stake in their local bookstore.

Heartleaf Books is also proudly queer/trans owned and cat-managed. Books Inside Boxes is definitely a cat-managed business as well, as we have Slinky, Tom, and Rigby inspecting every box of merch that comes in and every book box that goes out! Heartleaf Books has Penny, a beautiful gray cat who lives in the store and greets customers.

Do you believe in ghosts? If you visit Heartleaf Books, you might also meet Willie. Heartleaf Books is believed to be haunted by the ghost of William "Willie" Marfeo, a local bookie who ran afoul with the mob and was murdered in 1966. At the time, the building that Heartleaf Books is housed in was a restaurant called Korner Kitchen. Willie was shot in a telephone booth that was located in the approximate location of Heartleaf's current front door. A more extensive look at the murder of Willie can be found on Heartleaf's website, which includes newspaper clips from the incident.

Heartleaf Books has books clubs and events. One recent event was called Purrs & Pages. Hosted at a local brewery, this was an event for adults that have been missing the Scholastic Bookfairs of their childhood. This "grown-up bookfair" was also a fundraiser for Ten Lives Cat Rescue.

Please visit Heartleaf Books the next time you are in Providence, Rhode Island. You can also support this fabulous indie by shopping in their online store and show them some love on their Instagram page. We've included their license plate style sticker in our September box.