"Helen of Holliday's Cove" Book Release Event in Weirton, WV

Name: "Helen of Holliday's Cove" Book Release Event in Weirton, WV
Start: 2026-03-07T13:00:00-05:00
Location: Weirton Area Museum & Cultural Center

Schedule

Sat, 07 Mar, 2026 at 01:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Weirton Area Museum & Cultural Center | Weirton, WV

Come join author Valerie Van Orman as she celebrates the release of her historical fiction novel, "Helen of Holliday's Cove!" The event is free and open to the public.
Valerie Van Orman will discuss how she wrote the novel about her great-grandmother's life in Holliday's Cove, WV based on family heirlooms and genealogical research. The event will also feature book excerpt readings, a book signing, author Q&A, a free basket and book raffle, light refreshments, and an opportunity to purchase the book on site. Please join us as we celebrate the release of "Helen of Holliday's Cove" in Helen's hometown!
About the novel: Across generations, two lives intertwine through loss, love, and an unseen bond. In the early 1900s in Holliday's Cove, WV, Helen McCulloch’s dreams of family and adventure are upended by tragedy. Nearly a century later, preteen Beth Herlemann begins seeing a ghostly woman in a brown dress, a presence both haunting and protective. As Beth unravels the mystery, she learns that the past isn’t gone – it is reaching beyond the veil to help and protect us. Helen of Holliday’s Cove is a poignant dual-timeline novel about resilience, connection, and how women’s stories echo through time to guide those who come after.
About Valerie Van Orman: Valerie Van Orman holds a Ph.D. in communication studies and is currently a university professor in Pennsylvania, where she resides with her husband and cat. Her academic publications include 40+ peer-reviewed research articles, book reviews, and book chapters, as well as the academic book "Public Memory and the Television Series Outlander." She is passionate about creating public memory of women’s stories that have been lost to history and sharing her own family history stories through fiction. Her ties to the Weirton area go back generations: her great-great-grandfather served on the Holliday's Cove City Council, her grandfather and great-grandfather worked at Weirton Steel, and her grandmother was Ruth Plunkett, writer and editor for the Weirton Daily Times and who is often remembered for establishing the WDT's Cooking Contest.
You can find more information or pre-order the book at www.valerievanorman.com