Community Highlights: Meet Amy Jiron of HearthFire Books

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Jiron.

Hi Amy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
We are a family that prioritizes dialogue, community and place above wealth and stuff, so when our local bookstore – which has been a part of the mountain area community for more than 30 years – was about to close we stepped in to keep the doors open. We acquired the books, moved the shop – to a former art gallery! – and kept the book-loving, literary and community-oriented tradition here alive! We host an inclusive, diverse monthly book club, help facilitate and convene community groups and bring together artists, authors and experts to spark thought, conversation and dialogue. In the store we keep a curated selection of books, art and gifts that match our mission to support other small, local, and values-based businesses..

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road for most independent book stores is challenging. Margins are tight and online booksellers (not to be named) sell some books for less than what we are able to buy at wholesale. Every month we struggle to pay rent and bills. Here in Evergreen our challenges are compounded because we serve a smaller population of potential patrons and customers, with less tourism than either the Front Range or other mountain towns. Yet, commercial spaces are expensive. We are fortunate to have caring and attentive landlords, who are co-located in our building. This provides a level of confidence and flexibility for us as we host events, welcome customers and accept daily shipments. Our space is small, however, so we carefully cultivate inventory that will sell quickly – to pay our bills! The book business is old fashioned, rooted in paper and slower systems, but evolving as rapidly as possible, and as a small business we do our best to simplify and minimize extraneous costs while still staying aligned with our community-oriented mission.

We’ve been impressed with HearthFire Books, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a bookshop with fluid inventory that responds to community and customer needs and suggestions. We have one or a few of many books rather than tall stacks of all books (like you might find in a big box bookstore). Our book sections on nature and outdoor activities reflect thought and experience, including fiction and nonfictional stories of the natural world, its history and related issues. We also have a broad selection trail and field guides, maps and books on local wildlife, flowers, fishing, paddling, skiing and other outdoor activities. We love stocking books that appeal to school-aged kids and participate in our annual mountain area young writer’s festival where kids write their own books, then hear from authors of youth books. We also take books sales on the road including for international book-related events with World Affairs Councils in Colorado Springs and Denver. In the spring of 2026 we will be supporting the Colorado Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Books and Brunch scholarship fundraiser.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
We are tremendously grateful for the mentorship and support provided by all of the local businesses and organizations here in Evergreen. We are especially thankful for connections with teachers and staff at mountain area schools and for our regular patrons who go out of their way to buy from us and are exceedingly patient as we procure special orders!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hearthfirebookstore.com
• Instagram: @hearthfire_books
• Other: https://bookshop.org/shop/hearthfirebooks