Publishing Aug. 1, 2023-Inkshares-Historical Fiction, Romance- 434pp
Henderson House was provided by Galley Match for The Book Club CookBook
Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab
Henderson House is a relaxing respite from the busy world we live in. Caren Simpson McVicker’s debut novel is a flashback to 1940’s Bartlesville, Oklahoma and the simpler life of Wednesday night church suppers, Saturdays at the local cinema, and Sunday walks in the park after church. Based on family history and stories, Caren’s main character, Mildred Henderson, turns her grand home into a boarding house after the unexpected death of her husband. Mrs. H. and her beagle, Louie, captivate readers as she uses her special gifts- sensing houses and seeing a person’s color along with an interview checklist to choose her tenants. Frank Davis, a newly hired petroleum engineer at Philips Petroleum, checks all the boxes, changing the lives of the other boarders, the Blackwell family. In a few weeks’ time readers fall in love with Mrs. H.’s wisdom and Frank’s mild-mannered, genuine interest in the family, but most importantly his attraction to spinster Bessie, and where their friendship might lead.
Our group especially enjoyed the storytelling Caren weaves into the plot, along with the suspense of family secrets and sister loyalty. One of the threads in the novel is women in the workplace in the early 1940’s. We discussed jobs women from our past generations have held, from millinery shops in south Texas to restaurants in Germany! We shared our own versions of “self-talk,” kitchen ladies from church, and the supporting roles of the “menfolk” and their impact on the story. Dinners around the table with boarders recounting the day’s activities, special recipes shared, and even cooking lessons, make food and conversation a tantalizing feature.
Our menu from Caren’s Henderson House Recipe Collection: Appetizers- The Oklahoma Club Special drink, Edna’s Award-Winning Deviled Eggs, and Corn & Bean Salad w/lime dressing. Main course three salads-Waldorf, Cucumber & Tomato, and Chicken salad. Dessert- Mrs. H’s White Cake cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting. The “take-away” gift, a Boarder Interview Kit: a teapot filled with a stack of homemade almond shortbread cookies and lemon tea.
We unanimously loved Henderson House and are anxiously awaiting the sequel.
A Delectable Recipe for Summer Reading: A copy of Henderson House by Caren Simpson McVicker, two shortbread cookies, one cup of tea. Timeless storytelling perfection. Dorothy Schwab, Hostess
Born in Oklahoma, Caren lives in Vermont with her hubby, rescue pup, and barn cat turned happy house kitty. Caren is also a mom to two incredible humans and is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. Henderson House is her first novel.
The Grateful Reader 