History – A Bookish Home Podcast

Ep. 138 Sarah Penner on Following Up a Breakout Bestseller and Writing This Feminist, Gothic Mystery Set In Victorian London

March 7, 2023March 2, 2023Posted in History, Mystery, Research, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

Bestselling author Sarah Penner is back on to discuss her new novel, The London Seance Society, a spellbinding gothic whodunit introducing two enigmatic women who set out to solve a most unusual mystery.

“Penner has conjured up another winner. Bristling with tension and featuring strong women who aren’t afraid to defy conventions, this gothic mystery is both smart and seductive. Haunting in the best of ways, I swear I could feel the London fog on my cheek (or was that a spirit…) as I flew through the pages.” —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

Sarah Penner is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of THE LOST APOTHECARY, which has been translated into 40 languages worldwide. Sarah and her husband live in Florida. To learn more, visit SarahPenner.com.

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 136 Pam Jenoff on the Journey to Bestselling Historical Novels

February 21, 2023January 26, 2023Posted in History, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

Today bestselling author Pam Jenoff is on the podcast to discuss Code Name Sapphire, a powerful new novel about a secret resistance network during World War II and the unshakable resilience of women in even the hardest of times.

“Engrossing and emotionally stirring…A heart-wrenching exploration of the decisions women must make when their loyalties are put to the test in the most unimaginable of circumstances.” –Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

Pam Jenoff is the author of several novels, including NYT bestsellers THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR, THE LOST GIRLS OF PARIS, THE ORPHAN’S TALE and THE DIPLOMAT’S WIFE, as well as THE KOMMANDANT’S GIRL, which received widespread acclaim, earned her a nomination for the Quill Awards and became an international bestseller. She previously served as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. State Department in Europe, as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army at the Pentagon and as a practicing attorney at a large firm. She received her JD from the University of Pennsylvania, her masters degree in history from Cambridge University and her bachelors degree in international affairs from The George Washington University. Pam Jenoff lives with her husband, three children and five pets near Philadelphia where, in addition to writing, she teaches law school at Rutgers. Learn more: https://pamjenoff.com/

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 135: Alena Dillon on the Unknown Stories of Female Pilots in WWII and the Costs of Unfulfilled Ambitions

February 14, 2023Posted in History, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

Today Alena Dillon is back on the podcast to discuss Eyes Turned Skyward, an unforgettable dual timeline novel about a daughter discovering her mother’s past as a female pilot during World War II, while also starting a new chapter in her own life.

“Eyes Turned Skyward is a powerful examination of the cost—emotional, familial, generational—when women are denied their right to soar… Alena Dillon’s poetic prose and complex characters will linger long after the last page is turned!” — Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

Alena Dillon is the author of Mercy House, a Library Journal Best Book of 2020, The Happiest Girl in the World, a Good Morning America pick, My Body Is A Big Fat Temple, a memoir of pregnancy and early parenting, and Eyes Turned Skyward. Alena’s work has appeared in publications including The Daily Beast, LitHub, River Teeth, Slice Magazine, The Rumpus, and Bustle. She teaches creative writing and lives on the north shore of Boston with her husband, children, black lab, and lots of books. Learn more: https://www.alenadillon.com

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 132: Marie Benedict on Unearthing the Stories of Fascinating Women in History

January 24, 2023January 11, 2023Posted in History, Research, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

This week, Marie Benedict is on the podcast to discuss The Mitford Affair, an explosive novel of history’s most notorious sisters.

“In her latest book The Mitford Affair, Benedict plunges readers into a world of glamorous, charismatic young British debutantes and then turns that shiny world on its head. I was blown away–learning this true story of the Mitford sisters and the roles they played for and against the Nazis was nothing short of astonishing. Benedict delivers with all that readers have come to love and expect from her: nuance, elan, and the most delicious storytelling.”
― Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than ten years’ experience as a litigator at two of the country’s premier law firms, who found her calling unearthing the hidden historical stories of women. Her mission is to excavate from the past the most important, complex and fascinating women of history and bring them into the light of present-day where we can finally perceive the breadth of their contributions as well as the insights they bring to modern day issues. Marie’s novels have been translated into twenty-nine languages. Learn more at https://www.authormariebenedict.com/

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 128: Lynda Cohen Loigman on Writing as Comfort, Seeking the Whimsy in History, and Finding Inspiration in Unexpected Places

December 13, 2022December 6, 2022Posted in History, Research, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

Lynda Cohen Loigman joins me today to discuss her new novel, The Matchmaker’s Gift, a heartwarming story of two extraordinary women from two different eras who defy expectations to utilize their unique gift of seeing soulmates in the most unexpected places.

“Loigman’s latest is a gem. A scrappy Jewish teenager newly arrived in 1920s New York struggles to follow her calling as a matchmaker––seventy years later, her cynical divorce-attorney granddaughter realizes she has very inconveniently inherited the family gift for matching soulmates. Both funny and moving, The Matchmaker’s Gift made me smile from start to finish.”—Kate Quinn

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

Lynda Cohen Loigman grew up in Longmeadow, MA. She received a B.A. in English and American Literature from Harvard College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. Her debut novel, Two-Family House, was a USA Today bestseller and a nominee for the Goodreads 2016 Choice Awards in Historical Fiction.

Her second novel, The Wartime Sisters, was selected as a Woman’s World Book Club pick and a Best Book of 2019 by Real Simple Magazine. The Matchmakers Gift is her third novel. Learn more at https://lyndacohenloigman.com/

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep 116: Julia Kelly on Capturing the End of One Era for the Queen and British High Society

September 14, 2022September 14, 2022Posted in History, Research, WritingLeave a comment

Today Julia Kelly is on the podcast to discuss her historical novel, The Last Dance of the Debutante, a masterful, glittering novel that whisks you to midcentury Britain as it follows three of the last debutantes to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II.

We recorded this conversation before the Queen’s passing. It’s fascinating to hear more about the ending of one era for England in the 1950s as we witness another time of change today.

“Julia Kelly elegantly brings to life the last official presentation of debutantes at court with her exquisitely researched and beautiful written detail in The Last Dance of the Debutante. This story was so decadent, I wanted to don silk and crinoline and read it with a glass of champagne.” —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

Julia Kelly is the international bestselling author of historical women’s fiction books about the extraordinary stories of the past. Her books have been translated into 13 languages. She has also written historical romance. In addition to writing, she’s been an Emmy-nominated producer, journalist, marketing professional, and (for one summer) a tea waitress. Julia called Los Angeles, Iowa, and New York City home before settling in London.

You can find out more about her books at her website https://www.juliakellywrites.com/.

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep 115: Amy Tector on Archival Secrets and Sweeping Readers Away to Paris

September 7, 2022September 7, 2022Posted in History, WritingLeave a comment

Amy Tector is on the podcast this week to discuss her new novel, The Honeybee Emeralds. We chatted about capturing expat life and Parisian destinations, how to have a successful critique group (Amy’s is twenty years in and counting!), her most exciting discoveries as an archivist, and much more.

“Debut novelist Tector captures European life and her characters beautifully as she interweaves the perspectives of four women seeking fulfillment and success in this satisfying adventure. Keep an eye on this author.” —Booklist

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

Amy Tector was born and raised in the rolling hills of Quebec’s Eastern Townships. She has worked in archives for the past twenty years and has found some pretty amazing things, including lost letters, mysterious notes, and even a whale’s ear. Amy spent many years as an expat, living in Brussels and in The Hague, where she worked for the International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes in Yugoslavia. She lives in Ottawa, Canada, with her daughter, dog, and husband.

You can find out more about her books at her website https://www.amytector.com/.

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep 114: Sarah McCoy on Mustique Island’s Glamour, Royalty, Secrets, and Scandal

August 31, 2022August 4, 2022Posted in History, Summer Reading, WritingLeave a comment

Sarah McCoy is back on the podcast this week to discuss her new novel Mustique Island, a compulsive, sun-splashed voyage of self-discovery with a wealthy divorcee and her two headstrong daughters in 1970s Mustique, the world’s most exclusive private island, where Princess Margaret and Mick Jagger were regulars and long-held secrets are the buried treasures.

“Glamorous, scandalous, and wholly immersive in a way that will keep you turning pages long after the sun has set, Mustique Island is a captivating story of mothers and daughters told with adventurous spirit and heart. Toss this in your beach bag and your summer reading is set.”
—Steven Rowley, bestselling author of The Guncle

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

SARAH McCOY is the New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of the novels MUSTIQUE ISLAND; MARILLA OF GREEN GABLES; THE MAPMAKER’S CHILDREN; THE BAKER’S DAUGHTER, a 2012 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee; THE TIME IT SNOWED IN PUERTO RICO (Random House); “The Branch of Hazel: a novella” in GRAND CENTRAL; and LE SOUFFLE DES FEUILLES ET DES PROMESSES, a French exclusive title.

Sarah’s work has been featured in Real Simple, The Millions, Your Health Monthly, Huffington Post, Read It Forward, Writer Unboxed, and other publications. She hosted the NPR WSNC Radio monthly program “Bookmarked with Sarah McCoy” and is a Board Member for the literary nonprofit Bookmarks. She taught English writing at Old Dominion University and at the University of Texas at El Paso.

She lives with her husband, an orthopedic sports surgeon, and their fur children Gilly Pup and Tutu Cat in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

You can find out more about her books at her website www.sarahmccoy.com or reach her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @SarahMMcCoy.

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 112: Jamie Ford on Plotting a Sprawling Family Saga and Exploring Inherited Trauma

August 17, 2022August 4, 2022Posted in History, Summer Reading, WritingLeave a comment

This week my guest is Jamie Ford, the New York Times Bestselling Author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. His new novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, is this month’s “Read with Jenna” pick and a powerful exploration of the love that binds one family across generations.

“The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is simply transcendent. The first Chinese woman to set her lotus-bound feet in America is destined to set off a ripple through time and space, as her descendants struggle with her legacy of loss and loneliness. Themes of karma, courage, love, and motherhood weave timelessly through eight generations of women seeking to find balance in an increasingly tempest-racked world. Jamie Ford has outdone himself!” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

Jamie Ford’s debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list and went on to win the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. His work has been translated into thirty-five languages. Having grown up in Seattle, he now lives in Montana with his wife and a one-eyed pug. Learn more https://jamieford.com.

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 106: Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Author of Take My Hand

July 7, 2022July 6, 2022Posted in History, WritingLeave a comment

Today my guest is Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Take My Hand, a profoundly moving story about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible wrong done to her patients.

“Deeply empathetic yet unflinching in its gaze…an unforgettable exploration of responsibility and redemption.”—Celeste Ng

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

Dolen Perkins-Valdez is the New York Times bestselling author of Wench and Balm. She was a finalist for two NAACP Image Awards and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for fiction, and she was awarded the First Novelist Award by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Dolen is the current Chair of the Board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. On behalf of the foundation, she has visited nearly every public high school in the District of Columbia to talk about the importance of reading and writing. She is currently Associate Professor in the Literature Department at American University and lives in Washington, DC with her family. Learn more at https://dolenperkinsvaldez.com.

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.