Author George Wright will make a swing through the county this week to talk about his latest book, "Roseburg 1959." - Contributed Photo

George Byron Wright, author of the “Oregon Trio” group of novels will be at several Coos County locations this week to talk about his newest book.

Wright’s latest novel, “Roseburg 1959”,  completes his “Oregon Trio.” The first of the three works, “Baker City 1948,” was published in 2005, followed by “Tillamook 1952” in 2006.  Wright spent his grade school years in these three towns.

At each venue, Wright will discuss the background for his novels, take questions and sign books. His discussions will be held:

• Coos Bay: 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Myrtlewood Room, Coos Bay Public Library, 525 W. Anderson Ave.;

• Coquille: 6 p.m. on Friday at the small auditorium at Coquille Community Building, 115 N. Birch, sponsored by the Friends of the Coquille Public Library; and

• North Bend: 1 p.m. on Saturday at Books By The Bay, 1875 Sherman Ave., North Bend.

The latest novel is based on the explosion of a powder truck in Roseburg in August 1959.  Coos Bay is reported to be among many towns in the region that dispatched fire equipment and firefighters to help after the blast, a press release said.

Wright experienced the 1959 explosion in Roseburg. He and his family lived in the upstairs apartment at the mortuary hit by an axle spindle from an exploding powder truck. Though “Roseburg 1959” is influenced by the traumatic event of the blast, it is not completely based on history. “This is not a historical novel in the formal sense,” Wright said in a press release.

“In the story, at the time of the blast, a man readers will know as Ross Bagby stands at the edge of the conflagration unaware that his so-called life is about to go up in the flames.” According to Wright, the story involves a local charitable foundation, a lumber empire, accusations of embezzlement all wrapped up in the travails of the man caught up in the turmoil of the missing funds, a comatose local war hero wounded in the blast, abuses of power and decency and his own struggling marriage.

The other two novels, “Baker City 1948” and “Tillamook 1952,” also include events that happened in those towns. In “Baker City 1948” it is the murder of a schoolteacher, and in Tillamook the 1933 forest fire.

For each novel, Wright spent several years researching the events, the towns and times before creating the stories. He made many trips to the towns, walked and drove the streets and accessed museum, library and newspaper archives. Whenever possible, he interviewed people who either remembered the historical events or had special knowledge that he needed for specific points of accuracy, according to a press release.

The free program at the Coos Bay library is sponsored by the Friends of the Coos Bay Library. For more information about the Coos Bay event, those interested can call 269-1101. Information about the author, can be found on Wright’s Web site at http://www.c3publications.com.