The Fairy Garden Keeper: Q&A with Rachel Lee Millena
It’s 3 p.m. on a Friday in the historic town of Montrose, California. Its three-block “shopping park” on Honolulu Avenue, a quaint stretch of mom-and-pop shops, has buildings that date to the 1920s, tree-lined streets, old-style street lamps and the kind of neighbors that greet each other by name in passing. The tiny community can be spotted in numerous hit films and TV series like my personal favorite, “Old School” (2003), which features Will Ferrell running stark naked down the notable street.
A new bookstore opened in the neighborhood this summer, directly to the left of where Ferrell gets into his wife’s car post iconic streaking scene as seen above. Lost Books, sister to famous The Last Bookstore in downtown LA, sits tucked away in the foothills far from the bustle of the city. Now, people from all over are coming to a small town they’ve never heard of before just to see it.
I’m here searching for a bibliophile, one who will allow me to pick their brain, and I figure what better place to find one than in a bookstore?
I’m momentarily enclosed in a tunnel made entirely of plants. Creeping Charlie and sea grape cascade down the walls and a set of bookshelves peeks through the greenery. I feel like I’ve transported into a different world: kinder, greener, as if a unicorn or centaur will pop out at any second.
Two employees stand behind the front desk as I approach, hundreds more plants to the right of me. I tell them I’m looking for somebody who loves books and they both nod in sync as eyebrows furrow above their masks. I continue: “Specifically I’m looking for somebody who has participated in online book clubs and shares their love on an online platform.”
The brunette girl squeals and hides her face behind both palms. Her coworker points to her with zero hesitation: “That’s your girl.”
…
She was.
Rachel Lee Millena, confirmed bibliophile, is also the official plant keeper for the bookstore, or as her coworker called out while I was interviewing her, “the fairy garden keeper.” Millena has the incredibly tedious role of making sure all the plants are watered and thriving, but I don’t think she minds. Her earrings when we met were outlines of leaves — I think Monsteras? I can’t even keep a succulent alive so don’t take my word for it.
We spent half an hour that Friday discussing her passion for literature and her experience with online book clubs, specifically a new club that began shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic did.
This interview has been condensed for clarity.
Brown: Would you consider yourself a book nerd?
Millena: I would absolutely consider myself a book nerd. I have volunteered in libraries since middle school and I’m always a second away from going to library school, except you know tuition is expensive so. But yeah, I read a lot.
Brown: Do you have a favorite author or book?
Millena: Um, no. [laughs] All of them. All the time. I mean one of my favorite books is a memoir called “Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls” by T Kira Madden, which we don’t have in stock here but I’m forever begging for it.
Brown: And just what is it about the written word that appeals to you?
Millena: I think when I was younger, it was a lot of escapism and being able to step into worlds outside of your own. I really do think literature is one of the greatest art forms that allows you to do that. But … and this might be a controversial statement, I’ve never really been a person to picture things in their head while I’m reading. I like to appreciate the sentences as they’re constructed.
Brown: Have you ever been a part of an online book club and if so, which one?
Millena: Yes! Well, technically I suppose I’m in a couple and not super actively participating in some of them but the main one I do participate in regularly is called the Extra Credit Book Club. There’s a main pick every month but then there’s also a pick every week, literally everyone is reading voraciously like all the time.
Brown: I’ll have to check it out. How did you find this group?
Millena: I went to a Powell’s Books event over Zoom about a year ago with T Kirra Madden, the author of the book I mentioned before, and Chanel Miller… I think they were launching the paperback of Miller’s “Know My Name.” The Zoom chat was just popping off and everybody was so nice on there. Someone was like, “Should we make a group chat for like-minded bookish people? We should all get connected on social media.” Another person was like, “I already run an online book club, and anyone is welcome to join,” so I followed her on Instagram and that was how I became a part of the Extra Credit Book Club.
Brown: Who is the “her” behind the Extra Credit Book Club?
Millena: Her name is Michelle and she’s a librarian at Toronto Public Library in Canada, so she is the one who runs the book club that has taken over my whole life basically. [laughs]
Brown: How do you guys stay connected?
Millena: We meet every Sunday on Zoom to discuss the book of the week and have an Instagram group chat going nonstop. I’m sad because I haven’t been able to go to the meetings in like two months because I’ve been working so much but I’m always on the chat.
Brown: Have you met any other members in person?
Millena: I haven’t met anybody in person, they’re mostly all in Canada but a new member, Kate, who just joined when I fell off the face of the earth said she’s in Los Angeles and wants to come into the store to meet this week.
Brown: What do you look for in an online book club book pick?
Millena: I mean in the ECBC, I pretty much just trust Michelle … she and I have very aligned tastes, but generally I’m looking for a book that either has gorgeous sentences or is going to make me feel things very, very hard. I’m mostly looking for intensity.
Brown: I hear you. What’s the best part of being a member of an online book club?
Millena: I’m reading a lot more widely than I normally would, giving new things a chance because of it. It’s an incredible feeling to just connect with people all over and get to know my book club friends and have them get to know me. We’ll have authors or literary agents come on and talk with us so it’s not just about the books, sometimes it’s about the industry. There’s just a lot of valuable conversations taking place.
Brown: How are online book clubs contributing to a sense of community?
Millena: I mean, there’s just so much that we talk about that isn’t the books that we read. They were with me when I was looking for jobs because when I first joined, I was unemployed, and the job hunt was really hard. The ladies sent me books on how to fix your resume and find a job that suits you. Just having that sense of making new friends and supporting each other, especially during the pandemic, is something amazing. I consider myself pretty introverted but to have that community to meet up with every Sunday gave me something to look forward to.
As I reflect on my conversation with Millena, I find myself feeling like our crossing of paths is the epitome of books possessing the power to bring people together. Fate in their own way. I walked into Lost Books that Friday afternoon without a plan but left with answers found and a perfect stranger turned friend. The human connection that written words and the discussion surrounding them can bring is, truly, immeasurable.
If you’re interested in joining the Extra Credit Book Club, membership is free and open to all. You’ll just have to Instagram message founder Michelle Leung to get started. If ECBC’s five books a month and weekly meetings aren’t exactly what you’re looking for right now, consider some of the other online clubs I’ve previously mentioned that focus on a single read a month and have flexible (or no synchronous) meet times. Either way … this is your sign to join a club and connect with other like-minded book nerds you likely would’ve never gotten the chance to otherwise.
Celebrate good books and celebrate each other.
