Two things are mandatory when visiting Chicago's tree-canopied Andersonville neighborhood. First, there's the requisite stop-off at Ann Sather, a popular Swedish eatery, for a go y, cinnamon-dusted pastry. And then, just a few storefronts away, is the inviting Women and Children First bookstore, now celebrating its 20th anniversary.

As graduate students in the late '70s in the literature program at the University of Illinois, Ann Christophersen and Linda Bubon quickly saw a pitiful availability of books written by women. In response, in 1979, the two friends opened the doors to their 850-sq.-ft. shop in its original Lincoln Park location. The two assembled a large section of lesbian literature, as well as a pregnancy and childcare section that was the most comprehensive in the area.

Today, Women and Children First, after a move to Andersonville in 1990 and an expansion in 1998, is 3500 square feet large. Last year, thanks in part to the additional space, revenues were up 17% from 1997. With the extra space, they have been able to expand their top-selling sections, which are fiction and children's books, followed closely by lesbian/ gay titles, and their nonfiction new release area. "When we originally opened," said Christophersen, "we wanted to be able to serve several communities. We wanted to not only serve the feminist/ women's community but also our geographic community. Our expansion allowed us to broaden the scope of our titles and to carry more subjects than most specialty stores."

Another reason for the continued growth is that the store is a favorite stop for touring authors. The store averages 12 to 15 events each month.

"For starters," said Christophersen, "we aggressively promote our events. Our publicity machine is firmly in place. And we pay a lot of attention to the books that are being promoted and we make sure we have an author's backlist in stock."

"Authors and their publicists know that we go the extra mile," interjected Bubon. "We consistently produce an audience that buys books. And authors tell each other where they have good experiences."

Sara Paretsky, author of the popular V.I. Warshawski series and a resident of Chicago, is a big Women and Children First fan.

"Ann and Linda have always been interested in supporting local writers and they supported me early on when no one else cared if I lived or died," Paretsky told PW. "And as the book business has gotten much more competitive and much more difficult, they have expanded their programs, as everyone has. But the Women and Children First store was among the pioneers in doing in-store programs. There are a lot of writers out there who appreciate Linda and Ann."

Author Jane Hamilton agrees. "What I love about their store," said Hamilton, "is that there is an intelligence behind their choices of books. When you walk in, every book is a book that you want to read."

But over the course of 20 years in the turbulent world of bookselling, it hasn't all been open highway, engine roaring with pastoral skies as far the eye can see. Bubon and Christophersen have hit their share of teeth-rattling potholes. "When we moved to the Andersonville neighborhood in 1990," said Bubon, "business that year picked up 30%. But then, when the superstores started moving ever closer, it really hurt. For the first time, we experienced losses."

The store was one of the 26 bookseller plaintiffs in the suit filed last year against Barnes & Noble and Borders for unfair business practices.

"We got involved in the lawsuit," Christophersen explained, "when the ABA was looking at areas that had a big influx of superstores, and Chicago was one of them. They also recognized our willingness to file."

Today, business is back up. And a big piece of the demographic pie comes from Andersonville's sizable gay and lesbian population. Not surprisingly, Bubon and Christophersen's store caters to the gay population. And even as the superstores increase the shelf space devoted to gay material, Women and Children First's owners say that it hasn't really affected them.

"Our customers have a high political conscience," Christophersen said. "They want their neighborhood to have an identity. They support us and they tell their friends to support us. We have certainly prospered because of that."