Altadena’s women’s bookstore passed through Etonfire, but still transformed by disaster, turned into a resource hub and a community’s healing shelter.
Octavia’s bookshelves are the only black-owned independent bookstore in Pasadena, owned by Nikki Hai.
“When I was younger, I wanted a place like this to exist for me and my friends,” Hai said.
Unlike most of her neighbors, Nikki’s Altadena home was not destroyed by Eton Fire, but due to serious damage, it still does not live there.
She soon realized that her business had been saved and began providing evacuees with access to power and internet connections.
“People came in and then I thought maybe I should have food and water… and that was the beginning of it,” Hai said.
As more people asked for help, Octavia’s bookshelves issued community calls for donations, pulling books down and buried donated items such as air purifiers on the shelves.
They served about 500 people in three weeks.
“It really felt like a complete circle to be able to help people who have helped me open my business and keep it up,” Hai said.
Octavia’s bookshelves are named after the late Pasadena native Octavia Butler.
One of her works, “Paraable of the Sower,” has attracted attention in the wake of the Eton fire.
It was published in 1993, but the book had an entry dated February 1, 2025 in the early days, with the words “There was a fire today.”
The store has reopened as a bookstore. People are in a hurry to buy and try to join reading groups for “Sower of the Sower.”
The book is back to the wall, but the store is about to give back. Octavias bookshelves store books to help children deal with disasters and prepare their families.
“The book is about families evacuated due to wildfires,” Hai said.
There is also a giveaway section for evacuees reading glasses, and other health and wellness items such as air purifiers.
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