The Odyssey Bookshop

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Odyssey Bookshop (1963 - ) in South Hadley, Massachusetts is an independent bookstore which serves as the official bookstore for Mount Holyoke College.

It was founded by Romeo Grenier who was trained as a pharmacist. In 1957, he bought and managed Glesmann’s Pharmacy which was across the street from Mount Holyoke. The pharmacy, however, began to reflect Grenier's interest in literature as it became a gathering place for author readings and book club events. In 1963 the pharmacy was converted into The Odyssey Bookshop managed and run by Grenier.

During the 1980s, The Odyssey was damaged by two fires and was rebuilt and relocated under the direction of his daughter Joan Grenier. She took over The Odyssey when her father died in 1997.

In 2001, it became the official bookstore for Mount Holyoke, and continues with its tradition of author readings and community programs such as South Hadley Reads [1].