Write a commentLee Ellen Hickey, a lifelong resident of Oswego County, has sorted myth and fact surrounding the mysterious Tonkin Mansion and is presenting her findings in her intriguing debut, Girl in the Glass Coffin: The Tonkin Affairs.
Many Oswegonians have heard legends and rumors about the historical home, which is located on the corner of West 5th and Seneca Streets. In the late 1800s, ten year-old Virginia Tonkin died, and her grief-stricken parents refused to inter her body after death. Instead, they had her placed in a coffin with a sealed glass lid and kept her in their home for 15 months.
According to Hickey, the project began as a short story fictionalizing the legends for her children. "My history-loving husband got on board and began doing extensive research… He uncovered several incredible details and events surrounding the Tonkin family that are not widely known. At that point, I knew the story deserved to be told in its entirety,” said Hickey. “I took the information my husband provided and made a timeline of events that I then wove together into a historical fiction that is far more fact than fiction. I [then] used plausible scenarios and conversations to bridge the gaps left by time."
The Tonkin family's haunting tale is being told for the first time in this fascinating, historically accurate novel that may even solve a real-life cold case. Hickey brings the dark truth to light through her work, setting rumors to rest and giving readers something to think about long after they read the last page.
The novel can be ordered through the author’s website, girlintheglasscoffin.com. For an author signed copy, order at river’s end bookstore in Oswego. A book launch/ signing event sponsored by the Oswego County Historical Society will be held on Saturday, March 16, at the Oswego Library in the Community Room at 1 p.m. and a book signing/author’s meet and greet is scheduled for April 6th at 2 p.m. at the river’s end bookstore.
Lee Hickey lives with her husband and two of their five amazing children in Oswego, NY. She is a block leader for the Oswego Renaissance Association, a member of the Oswego County Historical Society and Elim Grace, and sits on the board of directors for Oswego County Opportunities. She is thrilled to share her love of local history with her first novel.
