Finding Thalhimers - Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt
When I picked up “Finding Thalhimers”, I was expecting a collection of fond memories and a healthy helping of nostalgia. While that aspect was present, it didn’t take over the whole book. I actually got a really good look into what was one of the biggest department stores on the East Coast and a Richmond legend.I loved that Thalhimer-Smartt simply didn’t tell us that her great-great-great grandfather built a store that was passed down through the generations and then it shut down because of the changing times. She painted a very vivid picture of a family that genuinely cared for their business through glimpses into the personalities that ran “The Store”, stories from past employees, and wonderful photographs. I also really appreciated that she was able to weave in what was going around in Richmond as the book progressed. All of these elements helped craft a really good story that fueled my imagination. The only reason this didn’t get five stars is because it made me terribly miss a store/Richmond landmark that had closed down just a few years before I was born.
