Our Big Story
We’re Rian and Alyssa Heim, the owners of Big Story Bookstore. We love books because they activate and expand the mind. At any given time we’re each reading a book or two and listening to another. Books shape how we think, how we understand the world, and how we connect with ideas beyond our own experience.
Our goal with Big Story is simple: to offer a thoughtfully curated and eclectic selection of books that encourages literacy, curiosity, knowledge, and a lifelong love of reading within our community.
In early 2021, we acquired Big Story from its founder and owners, Josh and Jenna Spencer. At the time, the world was in a moment of upheaval. After more than 20 years living in Los Angeles, the pandemic and the pace of city life pushed us to reconsider how and where we wanted to live. We began looking for a place that offered a slower rhythm, access to nature, and the chance to build something meaningful in our daily work.
Bend felt like the right place.
After first taking a job at Big Story, Rian began imagining what it might look like to own and operate the store. Conversations with Josh and Jenna gradually turned into an opportunity. The transition made sense for everyone involved, and the chance to carry forward—and build upon—what they had created felt like something special.
Today, Big Story remains locally owned and operated, and we continue to shape the store around the kinds of books we believe matter most: enduring classics, thoughtful nonfiction, unusual discoveries, and compelling contemporary works.
We’re grateful to be part of the Bend community, and we’re excited for the story of Big Story to keep unfolding in the years ahead.
Beyond the bookstore, we’re also involved in other local projects we care deeply about: Root Adorned, our shop in Northwest Crossing featuring indoor plants and artisan goods, and Modern Mountain Cottage, our thoughtfully designed rental retreat in nearby Sisters. You can follow along with what we’re building:
@bigstorybookstore
@rootadorned
@modernmountaincottage
Big Story Flybrary at RDM
In 2023 we established a partnership with the Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) and sponsor their Flybrary! Each month we deliver 10-15 boxes of books that we are unable to use at Big Story. These books are free to the 500,000+ passengers that travel through the airport each year. We work hard to make books available to people and not dumpsters!