Interesting premise - a landlady of a boarding house that can 'hear' houses but just didn't do it for me

Very good story set in a boarding house in the 1940s. Loved the characters and the little bit of magic. Didn’t love the varying POVs but it was well written. Thought Florence’s character was the most developed, but she was my least favorite. Would like to have read it all from Bessie or Mrs Henderson’s pov. Lots of family dynamics, some sisterly jealousy, and a lil bit of romance.

a boarding house in the 1940's, you will love the characters, and the setting. very good read. my first read by this author will definitely look for more.

Caren Simpson McVicker’s Henderson House is a charming novel about real people, flawed but loveable. You’re hooked by the characters’ perfectly calibrated, down-to-earth but delightful, maxims. Before you know it, you find yourself sitting in one of the comfy chairs on the house’s front porch, listening to amusing, if revealing, family stories, while digesting a scrumptious meal. (The kitchen scenes are guaranteed to make your mouth water!)

Henderson House is set in Oklahoma in the early 1940s. While our compassionate landlord feeds, counsels, and coddles her lodgers, we rock in our armchairs and come to know them, especially the middle-aged Blackwell sisters, Florence and Bessie, who together are raising Florence’s son, Johnny. When a divorced engineer rents a room, Bessie, a reconciled spinster, feels a tingle. Romance follows, but the family’s history gets in the way. The deal-breakers—promises, heartbreaks, and betrayals—are tenderly rendered, always with a dash of humor. The entire cast of characters plays a part—each one has a story—but taken as a whole, Henderson House is an enjoyable and rewarding tale about the saving grace of faith and community.

I didn’t really know what to expect from Henderson House. The synopsis in itself seemed quite interesting. As much as I love family-centric stories, I felt this one fell a little bit short in contrast to my expectations.

The characters themselves are quite likable, save for Florence, who I disliked with a passion. The premise itself—of a matronly landlady who can sense people’s auras in colors and can “hear” houses—was interesting enough, but I think the writing style wasn’t fit for my taste.

I understand this is supposed to be historical fiction, but I can’t help but feel that it didn’t do justice to the history of the Cherokees. It seemed as if the history was only in passing and highly sensationalized—which was a disappointment, given how much potential this book could’ve had if it had been integrated better.

The romance aspects themselves were also a little too rushed and borderline cliché—the build up of the “big” secret was a little too much. Once it was revealed, it wasn’t too surprising given how many hints there were already. Tension play wasn’t something to write home about.

Overall, it’s a pretty easy read but nothing really stood out for me. A little bit disappointed on the under-delivery of the overall historical fiction aspect.