Hannah Harlow
Cognoscenti contributor
Hannah Harlow is the co-owner and day-to-day operator of the Book Shop of Beverly Farms, in Beverly Farms, MA.
Recently published
In 2025, I got by with a little help from these books
I find even the “hard” books, the ones that reflect our world, are bearable because great novels also work in the beautiful things that make us human, writes Hannah Harlow,...
Banning books is never the answer. Talking about them is
The first week in October is Banned Books Week, and it prompted Hannah Harlow to reflect on her younger son’s love of dragons, how following his interest helped him gain...
Just the right mix of books for 2024
As the co-owner of a bookstore, The Book Shop of Beverly Farms, Hannah Harlow reads for a living. These are the books that stuck with her in 2024.
Best-of lists are great, ‘but have you heard about this?’
Part of what can make a book seem so good is a feeling of discovery, of surprise, writes Hannah Harlow, an independent bookseller. ‘Tis the season of “best-of” lists, and...
How we fall in love with books
Maybe once a day in the bookstore I own, someone exclaims, “Oh my god, I loved that book!” writes Hannah Harlow. So I put the question to our community: What’s...
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What We Lose When Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Leaves Boston
Hannah Harlow worked at HMH for 17 years before leaving to run her own bookstore. She had a close-up view as authors, including Jhumpa Lahiri, launched their careers, and championed...
My Bookstore Has Been Closed For 9 Weeks, And I Don't Want To Reopen
Some of the guidelines the state has provided are useful, but there's a lot left to interpretation, writes Hannah Harlow, a bookstore owner. We’ll open when I feel it’s safe...