Rainier Words

Rainier Words was founded with a mission to reflect the extraordinary cultural diversity of the Rainier Valley, one of the most ethnically varied neighborhoods in the United States. The store stocks titles in over a dozen languages, including Vietnamese, Somali, Amharic, Spanish, and Tagalog, alongside one of the best translated fiction sections in the Pacific Northwest. Staff members collectively speak eight languages, ensuring that every visitor can find a knowledgeable guide to the shelves. The community room at the back of the store hosts English-language learning circles, multilingual story times for children, and book clubs conducted in various languages. Rainier Words has become an indispensable institution in Columbia City, a place where the neighborhood's many communities find common ground through the shared love of reading.