When the owners of the Next Chapter bookstore in Woodland announced they were going out of business after 21 years, they called it the end of the road.

Turns out, though, that the road had a twist that Vicky Panzich and John Hamilton hadn't anticipated at that juncture.

They said in March that discount retailers had cut into meager profits and made it almost impossible to survive as an independent bookstore in a small town.

Panzich, 59, and Hamilton, 54, said they had decided to find jobs instead.

Just when things looked bleakest – when their stock was being liquidated and signs that read "Our end is near" were plastered across the windows – the couple got an offer they easily refused.

Come to Placerville, another couple offered, and take over our bookstore.

No way, said Hamilton and Panzich. Enough was enough.

But they visited the store, and visited again, and eventually decided they could make it work. It was small, like a more-profitable Davis shop they'd started with in 1987. It would have lower rent and utility bills and only one or two part-time employees.

Main Street in Placerville was bustling with car and foot traffic, including vacationers headed for the mountains.

Lower costs and more customers could add up to a living, they figured.

Panzich and Hamilton now own Raven's Tale in downtown Placerville. After two decades of running bookshops in Davis and Woodland, they say they know it's a risky venture.

" 'Charmingly stupid' probably describes it best," Panzich said with a laugh.

Selling books is in their blood, she said, and too important to give up without a stubborn fight.

"Bookstores are the space of our democracy. They're vital to the communities they're in," Panzich said. "We have to keep doing it. We have to be advocates and never give up."

In Woodland, the Next Chapter occupied the century-old Cranston Brothers Hardware building, with two sunlit floors of books and a cafe in back.

The store's closure was a blow to Woodland's hopes for its struggling Main Street, where other businesses have shut and storefronts sit empty.

With its creaky wooden floors and handmade shelves, the store was the center of the town's literary community.

Book clubs met there, and a group that brought in well-known authors to speak at schools worked closely with Panzich and Hamilton.

Hamilton said he could still hear the echoes in the shop as he swept the floors for the last time amid the empty shelves.

"It was missing its heart," he said. "It was missing its books."

In June, Hamilton drove a truck between Woodland and Placerville, hauling books and the wooden fixtures he'd made himself. He and Panzich have been unpacking and filling the shelves of the new store.

Customers have brought it to life. A grand opening Sunday featured wine, cheese and a cello and flute recital. Old friends came from Woodland and new ones from Placerville.

The couple said a book club is already meeting at the store, and they hope to bring authors to town with the help of the local arts community.

Panzich hasn't had a day off in two months, and Hamilton is looking for part-time work as an accountant. But the couple said they are happy to be back where they belong.

"It's hard not to do what you really care about," Panzich said.

Call The Bee's Hudson Sangree, (916) 321-1191.