'She wanted them in the world': N.B. community maintains book shed after owner's death

A small shed sits on a property close to the ferry in Pettes Cove, N.B., on Grand Manan.

The shed is white with green trim and a black roof. It looks like any other backyard shed.

But it is packed with hundreds of books — a legacy of the late Anneke Deichmann Gichuru — on a wide range of subjects.

"When you walk in, the collection is just so strange," Ben Abramson, a neighbour and seasonal Grand Manan resident,

As opposed to a bookstore or library with organized sections, "this is a memoir from a former prime minister, next to a French school book, next to a Nova Scotia literary journal," Abramson says.

"It really is like a treasure hunt."

Only a small sign that reads "free books" is any indication of what's inside.

But it was that sign that caught Theresa Smith-Linton's eye.

"The grass was long, and I just said if someone can give away free books, why can't I take 10 minutes out of my day and help the person?" she said.

Smith-Linton mows lawns for several other people on Grand Manan. Before even meeting the woman who ran the "book barn," she took it upon herself to trim the grass around it.

Two years into mowing the lawn, Smith-Linton finally met Deichmann Gichuru, who insisted on repaying her for the work — and that she take a look inside the shed.

"The books, most of them are older, but some of them are really neat," said Smith-Linton. "I took two."

Lifelong pursuit of knowledge

Deichmann Gichuru had a love of reading and a love of learning. Born in 1938, she attended UNB for history and literature. She later became a teacher in Kenya, where her husband was from.

"Growing up, she always read to us, that was our daily nighttime routine," says daughter Wandia Gichuru, who lives in Kenya but was reached in the U.S. "Books were such a big part of her life, that I think it's wonderful that she's been able to spread some of that."

In the late '90s, Deichmann Gichuru moved back to New Brunswick to care for her ailing mother, Erica Deichmann Gregg. Erica Deichmann Gregg and Kjeld Deichmann, Anneke's father, were renowned potters.

"My grandmother had a house on Grand Manan that she used as a summer home," said Gichuru. "So my mother moved out there and basically lived there all year round, even though it wasn't really built for winter."

Many of the books that ended up in the shed come from Deichmann Gregg's collection, or that of her second husband, Milton Gregg.

"I don't know exactly, but it was definitely over 15,000, maybe close to 20,000 books," said Gichuru.

They sat untouched for years until Deichmann Gichuru decided they shouldn't be gathering dust in the basement.

"She just decided she wanted them in the world and wanted people to read them," said Abramson.

Bound together

Grand Manan has a year-round population of less than 3,000. Deichmann Gichuru was an integral part of that small community, as a member of the Rotary Club, a local choir and manager of the Grand Manan Museum for several years.

"She was alone, but not really alone because she had a really wide circle of friends and was very engaged in the community," said Abramson. "She was a really fascinating person."

Deichmann Gichuru died earlier this year, but Abramson decided to keep the shed open and to keep giving away books.

"If you've ever heard the expression, every time an old person dies, a library burns. Over your life, you collect so much interesting information and context," he said.

"I think for her, this was a way to make sure that many of the books that had nourished her and made her as smart as she was, she wanted other people to have access to."

Gichuru agrees. "This is exactly what she wanted," she said.

She says the family has no plans to sell the house anytime soon.

"Three generations — my mom's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — were there last week, and we felt her spirit," she said.

"We sort of fell in love a little bit with Grand Manan. So I wouldn't be surprised if we hang on to it for a while."