Bartlesville setting for 'Henderson House,' a new historical fiction novel
When you browse the historical fiction section at your local library or bookstore, you’ll see plenty of novels set in London, Paris and New York. A new title recently joined their ranks, only this story unfolds in a location much closer to home − Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
"Henderson House," by Caren Simpson McVicker, follows Bessie Blackwell, an Oklahoma spinster who falls for a divorced man in May of 1941, and her manipulative sister who threatens Bessie’s chance at happiness when she exposes a dark family secret.
McVicker will be discussing her debut novel and signing books from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Bartlesville Public Library. Born in Oklahoma City, McVicker grew up in New Jersey, but family stories kept her connected to her Oklahoma roots.
McVicker’s late father, Charles “Chuck” Simpson, was a former University of Tulsa basketball star and her mother, 90-year-old Shirley Barbour Simpson was Miss Oklahoma in 1952.
Before her sophomore year in high school, McVicker’s family moved to Baton Rouge and she and her father began making Memorial Day trips to Oklahoma.
“We’d pick up my grandma in Tulsa, then my great-aunt in Bartlesville, and head out to the Woodlawn Cemetery in Claremore,” McVicker said. “Teenage me was fascinated by these ancient sisters tottering around the headstones, arguing about what color plastic flowers to place on each grave. They were both born in Cherokee Indian Territory."
She said, "My grandma lost her husband early and worked hard to raise my father. Aunt Boo Boo was an old maid in her forties, working for Phillips Petroleum, and living in a boardinghouse when she fell in love. Listening to their stories, I knew I wanted to write about them."
But building a life can get in the way of starting a novel. It took 35 years for the idea to resurface.
"During one of my last visits with my father, we reminisced about our trips to Oklahoma. When I got stuck in the Atlanta airport on my way home, I took out my laptop and started writing,” McVicker said.
Librarians at the Bartlesville Public Library were critical to McVicker’s research during the pandemic, digitizing materials for her when she was unable to travel.
As winner of the Inkshares 2020 All Genre Contest, "Henderson House" earned a publishing contract with the Oakland-based indie press. McVicker resides in Vermont and is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation.
A limited number of copies will be available for purchase at the event for $20, cash or check. The author will donate 25% of the proceeds to the library.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: 'Henderson House,' from Caren Simpson McVicker, set in Bartlesville
