How a New Orleans used bookstore found a home in Houston
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John and Dee Dillman, co-owners of Kaboom Books. Photo: Shafaq Patel/Axios
Mazes of shelves stacked with about 140,000 used books fill Kaboom Books. The bookstore once brimmed just as full in New Orleans — until Hurricane Katrina forced a move 20 years ago and its owners started again in Houston.
Why it matters: Houston was one of the main cities where Katrina evacuees stayed, per new data. Today, New Orleanians have become part of Houston's fabric — from Cajun restaurants and live music to neighborhood barber shops and businesses, like Kaboom Books.
Flashback: John and Dee Dillman lived in the back of the French Quarter, where they ran their bookstore for nearly three decades.
- When Katrina hit in 2005, their three-story home and shop escaped flooding thanks to being on elevated ground, but the city around them unraveled. They stayed put for five days before deciding to leave.
- They joined a caravan of friends — with their son and a neighbor and her dog in tow — and drove to Houston.
- "It was water," John says of their breaking point. "The sewage wasn't going to flow and fresh water wasn't in the pipes."
- Dee remembers the bugs being unbearable — and leaving in a frenzy as John inexplicably packed baseball gear and she forgot her undergarments.
The Dillmans shuttled between New Orleans and Houston for a year and a half before settling in the Bayou City permanently. By then, many of their customers had left New Orleans and they felt the city's recovery was uncertain.
- They stayed at a friend's home and made 60 trips — 22 boxes of books at a time — to bring their inventory across state lines to open up shop here.
- "Opening cold" was the hardest part, John says. In New Orleans, they were well known in the literary world; in Houston, they had to build a reputation from scratch. Word of mouth carried them, they say.
What they're saying: Houston, with its diversity and inclusivity, was the right fit, they say, adding that John preferred a big city and was familiar with the Gulf Coast.
- Then-Mayor Bill White's welcoming stance also factored in.
- Plus, Houston has really good food, Dee says.
The bottom line: Now settled in Woodland Heights, Kaboom, which specializes in literature and includes collections on history, science and social science, is a go-to for Houston readers. Business is great, John says.
- And somehow, amid the labyrinth of shelves, John and Dee always know exactly where each book is.
Go deeper: Read about where other evacuees resettled, from Columbus to Charlotte.