Usually when I review bookstores, I visit, shop around, maybe buy some books and talk with the owner or booksellers on hand. In this case, I’ve never visited Hearts & Minds Books but I probably buy as many books from them as anyone else. I’ve long admired the whole ethos of the store and its proprietors, Byron and Beth Borger. I carry their logo on my website and have often encouraged buying books you see on this page from them. I thought it time to tell their story and why I’m such a fan of the store.

I first encountered Byron Borger at a national conference I was attending about fifteen or so years ago in Washington, DC. They had one of the most impressive conference book store I’d ever seen. These were all substantive books, many showing the relationship of Christian thought to a variety of important questions and aspects of culture. While browsing the table, I started listening to the guy behind the table and was impressed as I watched him connect people with several books on whatever topic in which they were interested. It was like watching a virtuoso. I discovered that the gentleman I was observing was Byron Borger, who ran a bookstore in Dallastown, Pennsylvania, in central Pennsylvania, between York and Harrisburg.

In the years that followed, I heard of friends who made pilgrimages to this little out of the way space, and came away with hundreds of dollars of books. I noticed that famous authors like N.T. Wright even stopped by to do special book events. I started following the store’s Facebook group. I learned about a regular newsletter Byron sent out called Booknotes. You can read it on the web or receive it via email. Each issue offers thoughtful reviews of a number of recently published books, often on a theme. And all of them are available at a 20 percent discount (often better than that offered by that well-known online bookseller).

So I took the opportunity to order some of these books. They arrived at my home within the week, meticulously wrapped, and packaged to survive the rigors of the postal service. It actually takes some work to unpack them. but they’ve never arrived in anything less than pristine condition. Every. Single. Time.

Over the years, we became better acquainted, particularly as he gave me permission to post my reviews in his Facebook group. Early on, he challenged me about using links from that popular online bookseller, and the impact that has on indies. Since then, I provide publisher links, let people choose where they buy, and encourage people to buy from Hearts & Minds when I post on their page.

Recently, I had the chance to interview Byron and learn more about how the store got started. It all connected back to Byron’s faith journey. In college, through the work of the Coalition for Christian Outreach, he was exposed to Christian books like the works of Francis Schaeffer, Os Guinness, and Jacques Ellul, that spoke to the issues of the day from a Christian perspective. He went on to work for The Coalition, and constantly used books in his discipleship works with students, and recommended them to other ministry colleagues. They told him, “You ought to have a bookstore because you always have us reading these books.”

Byron and his wife Beth were living in Pittsburgh at the time, and when they learned they were expecting a child, they decided it was time to leave campus ministry. As they discerned with community, they took the leap and pursued their bookselling dream. To do so, they decided to move back near their parents, who could help with childcare, and with some of the initial financing of the store. They found their present cozy location in Dallastown, half of which serves as their residence.

I asked him about the vocation of the bookseller. For him, it involves two strengths, that of the teacher and that of the entrepreneur. One has to know (or learn) how to run a business. But one also has to love books and be able to educate others about them. He is baffled when people speak of wanting to start a bookstore but never read books. Listening to Byron speak of books, you hear his passion. Books changed his life and he believes they can change other lives.

The focus of Hearts & Minds are books that thoughtfully present Christian thought as it bears on all of life. They emphasize ecumenicity–selling books that represent the broad spectrum of the Christian faith. They also sell other important books and can get any book customers need.

Because of the store’s serious focus, only about one-third of the business was in-store purchases. Another third is conferences, including Coalition for Christian Outreach’s annual Jubilee conference. The final third was online sales from people all over the country who love the books and the mission that Hearts & Minds represents.

The store closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has chosen to remain closed to in-store business because of the close quarters they operate in. Meanwhile, the online portion of the business has quadrupled while the conference business has resumed. For local customers, they offer curbside or backyard pickups. The interior of the store has been adapted to handled the increased online order fulfillment work.

One of the fascinating aspects of their online work, beside the great packing, is the personal attention. Byron will often chat with local customers in emails or on the phone, just as he would in person. He will suggest other books that might be of interest, not in an effort to upsell, but simply because he loves books! No algorithms here–just someone who tries to learn about and serve customers.

The work is challenging, especially as they adjust to different reading habits and face online competition. I gather they’ve made ends meet but this has often been “a near run thing.” Even a few consistent customers make a difference and they would love to see more conference purchasers continue to order from their store. They are also able to work out special prices for book groups, classes, and other contexts where you are purchasing multiple copies of a book.

As we came to the close of our conversation, I asked Byron about some of the books he enjoys re-reading. I learned that booksellers have the same occupational challenge as reviewers–we both have to read a number of new books, so finding the time to re-read is difficult. But there were several he mentioned including Walter Brueggeman’s Prophetic Imagination and essays by Barbara Kingsolver and Ann Patchett. The most interesting was a book on art and aesthetics from a Christian perspective, Calvin Seerveld’s Rainbows For The Fallen World.

For forty years Byron and Beth Borger have pursued a vision of connecting the Christian community locally and across the country with substantive books, both those reflecting a Christian perspective as well as a wider selection of books that explore the good, the true, and the beautiful. Byron’s passion is to see books as tools in the making of “whole-life” disciples. Whether in person, at a conference booktable, or an online order, one encounters a person who cares about getting books that will be helpful to you as an individual. This seems to me to epitomize the best of bookselling. I order from Byron not only because he provides quality books and great service but because the sources for such substantive and meaty literature sold by such a knowledgeable bookseller are becoming increasingly rare. I value that and it seems a good use of my resources to support what I value.