The legendary Denver book store known as Tattered Cover has been through some ups and downs of purchasers over the past few years. The rambling bookstore featuring cozy nooks, comfortable couches, and reading chairs, has always been permeated by a global flavor of exploration; be it adventure, fantasy, or open-minded ideas, and acceptance. The literary world it opened for readers made it beloved across generations.

Image courtesy of Tattered Cover Bookstore

The 53-year-old business filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2023. It has four stores and 70 employees. On Monday, it filed its latest chapter in its storied history: it agreed to a $1.83 million sales bid from  TC Acquisition Co. LLC, an affiliate of Barnes & Noble Inc.

Per the purchase agreement, which was agreed to by its parent company Bended Page, Tattered Cover will keep its name (Tattered Cover Book Store) and maintain its independent bookstore culture, and focus.

The bankruptcy court still has to approve the sale, and assuming it does, the purchase will close at the end of July.

Editor’s Note: with so many county residents who at one time or the other lived on the Front Range, we thought this news would be of interest to residents of Chaffee County. As a member of Lighthouse Writers Workshop, only a few blocks away from the Tattered Cover on Colfax Avenue, I lost count of how many hours I spent in this iconic bookstore.