On the final episode of Historical Fiction: Unpacked, I talk with Joanna Davidson Politano about her latest novel, The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple. We had a wonderful conversation about the silent film industry, the part gardens play in this story, and Joanna's research and writing process. Here's a description of the novel: In her newest narrative, Politano once again whisks readers away to Edwardian England, where an unlikely duo—an underground investigator and a silent-film actress—join forces to uncover secrets and solve cases. But the most baffling case still remains. Dive into the past for a whimsical and layered tale that will leave readers breathless but craving more of Politano’s mesmerizing tales. Peter Driscoll, an underground investigator to the wealthy, has been tasked with uncovering the legendary Briarwood Teardrop, an exquisite sapphire, which is currently in the possession of beautiful silent film actress, Lily Temple. In order to stay closer to her, he employs Lily on one of his cases, which leads to a useful partnership. Lily is both charming and quick-witted, but behind her costumes and make-believe world is a woman with a murky past—that includes the Briarwood Teardrop, which she will neither part with nor explain its presence. As she continues to work with Peter, her own story weaves in and out of their encounters, and hints about her background begin to surface. As Peter draws closer to the truth about Lily’s past, danger draws closer to both of them. It is soon obvious that he needs her help as much as she needs his, especially when his life is dependent on Lily’s ability to spin a believable tale. Purchase The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Joanna's website, and follow her on Facebook, and Instagram. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list (email newsletter) here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

This week's episode features a fun conversation. Ashlee Cowles and Danielle Stinson make up A.D. Rhine. They met as military "brats" when they were kids and stayed close over the years. They've united to write a duology, Horses of Fire and Daughters of Bronze. I sat down with Ashley and Danielle to talk about their friendship, their mutual love of Homer's Iliad, and what led them to write these novels together. Here's a description of the duology: A sweeping and epic duology in which Troy’s strong, yet misunderstood women take center stage in the most famous war in history. Andromache is cast as the doting wife of Prince Hector, yet her Amazon warrior name means “battler of men.” The only one with the cunning to outwit the invading Greeks, she must gather a band of outcasts and become the military commander she was born to be before the life she and Hector have built is reduced to ashes. Rhea is a war refugee and a horse whisperer who finally earns a place and sense of belonging in Hector’s stables. To save her new home, she must become an unlikely spy and face down a forbidden love that will test all her loyalties. Helen is blamed by all for starting the Trojan War, but no one knows her real story. To escape her tormentor and foil a plot to undermine Hector, Helen must find the healer within and risk everything by revealing her true face to the one who despises her most. Set in the wider landscape of the late Bronze Age collapse, this realistic and immersive Troy is a perilous battleground for warriors and politicians alike, not a playground where the fate of men and women make sport for gods and goddesses. It’s a harrowing novel of palace intrigue, the transcendent bond of female friendship, and the everyday bravery of invisible heroes in times of war. The women of Troy are threads spinning on a single loom. Can they reweave the tapestry of fate? Purchase Horses of Fire on Amazon (affiliate). Check out A.D. Rhine's website, and follow them on Facebook, and Instagram. Follow Ashlee on Instagram and Facebook and find her website here. Follow Danielle on Instagram and find her website here. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Award-winning author Erin Bartels joins me on the show to talk about her latest novel, The Lady with the Dark Hair. We discuss the barriers women historically faced when they wanted to pursue a career as an artist as well as the recent emergence of female artists from history. Here is a description of the novel: A charismatic man with a legacy that long outlives him. A forgotten woman whose fate is forever tied to his. And the family whose history is still being written. Toulouse, France—1879 Catalan orphan-turned-fugitive Viviana Torrens has found sanctuary serving in the home of an aging artist in Southern France. It is in his studio that she meets Francisco Vella, a Gibraltarian merchant who sells artists’ pigments. When her past catches up to her, she is compelled to pose as Vella’s sister and join him on his travels or be deported back to Spain to stand trial. Along the way she will discover that the many parts she has been playing in order to hide her identity have far-reaching implications she never could have foreseen. East Lansing, Michigan—Present Day Esther Markstrom and her artist mother have always been proud of their ancestor, painter Francisco Vella. They even run a small museum and gallery dedicated to raising awareness of his scandalously underappreciated work. But when Esther reconnects with her former art history professor, she finds her once-solid family history on shaky ground as questions arise about Vella’s greatest work—a portrait entitled The Lady with the Dark Hair. This dual-timeline story takes you on a captivating journey across time and continents, where past and present converge in a relentless search for truth, identity, and the freedom to follow one’s dreams. Purchase The Lady with the Dark Hair on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Erin's website, and follow her on Facebook, and Instagram. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

New York Times Bestselling author Allison Pataki joins me on the show today to talk about her latest release, Finding Margaret Fuller. We discussed Margaret's place in history, the many famous transcendentalist writers she was connected to, and her influence on the U.S. feminist movement. We also talked about Allison's research process, including her visit to Concord and Walden Pond and how real historical figures morph into a characters in her novels. Here's a description of the novel: Massachusetts, 1836. Young, brazen, beautiful, and unapologetically brilliant, Margaret Fuller accepts an invitation from Ralph Waldo Emerson, the celebrated “Sage of Concord,” to meet his coterie of enlightened friends shaping a nation in the throes of its own self-discovery. By the end of her stay, she will become “the radiant genius and fiery heart” of the Transcendentalists, a role model to young Louisa May Alcott, an inspiration to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s character of Hester Prynne and the scandalous Scarlet Letter, a friend to Henry David Thoreau as he ventures into the woods of Walden Pond . . . and a muse to Emerson himself. But Margaret craves more than poetry and interpersonal drama, and she finds her restless soul in need of new challenges and adventure. And so she charts a singular course against a backdrop of dizzying historical drama: From Boston, where she hosts a women-only literary salon for students like Elizabeth Cady Stanton; to the editorial meetings of The Dial magazine, where she hones her pen as its co-founder; to Harvard’s library, where she is the first woman to study within its walls; to the gritty New York streets where she spars with Edgar Allan Poe and reports on the writings of Frederick Douglass. Margaret defies conventions time and again as an activist for women and an advocate for humanity, earning admirers and scathing critics alike. When the legendary Horace Greeley offers an assignment in Europe, Margaret again makes history as the first female foreign news correspondent, mingling with luminaries like Frederic Chopin, Walt Whitman, George Sand, and more. But it is in Rome where she finds a world of passion, romance, and revolution, taking a Roman count as a lover—and sparking an international scandal. Evolving yet again into the roles of mother and countess, Margaret enters a new fight for Italy’s unification. With a star-studded cast and epic sweep of historical events, this is a story of an inspiring trailblazer, a woman who loved big and lived even bigger—a fierce adventurer who transcended the rigid roles ascribed to women, and changed history for millions, all on her own terms. Purchase Finding Margaret Fuller on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Allison's website, and follow her on Facebook, and Instagram. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

I had a wonderful conversation with Jennifer Ryan about her newly released novel, The Underground Library. It's based on the real Bethnal Green Library, which went underground to service the bomb shelters beneath the streets of London during the Second World War. Jennifer and I chatted about the roles women played during World War II, how research inspires her stories, and what lead her to become an author. Here's a description of the novel: When new deputy librarian, Juliet Lansdown, finds that Bethnal Green Library isn't the bustling hub she's expecting, she becomes determined to breathe life back into it. But can she show the men in charge that a woman is up to the task of running it, especially when a confrontation with her past threatens to derail her? Katie Upwood is thrilled to be working at the library, although she's only there until she heads off to university in the fall. But after the death of her beau on the front line and amid tumultuous family strife, she finds herself harboring a life-changing secret with no one to turn to for help. Sofie Baumann, a young Jewish refugee, came to London on a domestic service visa only to find herself working as a maid for a man who treats her abominably. She escapes to the library every chance she can, finding friendship in the literary community and aid in finding her sister, who is still trying to flee occupied Europe. When a slew of bombs destroys the library, Juliet relocates the stacks to the local Underground station where the city's residents shelter nightly, determined to lend out stories that will keep spirits up. But tragedy after tragedy threatens to unmoor the women and sever the ties of their community. Will Juliet, Kate, and Sofie be able to overcome their own troubles to save the library? Or will the beating heart of their neighborhood be lost forever? Purchase The Underground Library on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Jennifer's website, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

This week's episode brings you a conversation with Joel H. Morris. His debut novel, All Our Yesterdays, releases next week, and it's the origin story of the famous lady featured in Shakespeare's play Macbeth. Joel and I discussed his love of Shakespeare and how he became fascinated with one of the most studied female literary figures. Here's a description of Joel's novel: A propulsive and piercing debut, set ten years before the events of Shakespeare’s historic play, about the ambition, power, and fate that define one of literature’s most notorious figures: Lady Macbeth. Scotland, the 11th Century. Born in a noble household and granddaughter of a forgotten Scottish king, a young girl carries the guilt of her mother’s death and the weight of an unknowable prophecy. When she is married, at fifteen, to the Mormaer of Moray, she experiences firsthand the violence of a sadistic husband and a kingdom constantly at war. To survive with her young son in a superstitious realm, she must rely on her own cunning and wit, especially when her husband’s downfall inadvertently sets them free. Suspicious of the dark devices that may have led to his father’s death, her son watches as his mother falls in love with the enigmatic thane Macbeth. Now a woman of stature, Lady Macbeth confronts a world of masculine power and secures the protection of her family. But the coronation of King Duncan and the political maneuvering of her cousin Macduff set her on a tragic course, one where her own success might mean embracing the very curse that haunts her and risking the child she loves. Purchase All Our Yesterdays on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Joel's website, and follow him on Instagram. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

I spoke with Gail Lehrman about her love for New York City, how she came to become a writer later in life, and what's so special about her debut novel, Across Seward Park. Here's a description of the novel: Unions. Strikes. War. Depression... Set in the crowded tenements and teeming streets of New York's Lower East Side, Across Seward Park follows one family's journey through the roiling events of the 20th Century. Irving Friedman and his big sister Miriam struggle to survive in the savage sweatshops of the early garment industry. Then Marxist firebrand Leo Hirsch comes into their lives, drawing Irving into the dangerous world of union building and Miriam into a bittersweet romance. As the decades pass and the family weathers war, a Depression, and war’s aftermath, Irving becomes the sole custodian of a haunting family secret that will put him on a collision course with Miriam’s ambitious daughter Shelly. Purchase Across Seward Park on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Gail's website, and follow her on Instagram and Facebook. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Eric Z. Weintraub spoke with me about his newly released novel, South of Sepharad: The 1492 Jewish Expulsion from Spain. Eric and I talked about what we're writing, the role of Eric's Jewish heritage in his decision to write about this topic, the research his project required, and how he found a publisher. Here's a description of South of Sepharad: Fleeing death by the Spanish Inquisition, a Jewish doctor makes an impossible choice between home and faith, then struggles to lead his family on a journey for a new life. GRANADA, SPAIN, 1492. Vidal ha-Rofeh is a Jewish physician devoted to his faith, his family, and his patients. When Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand conquer Granada they sign the Alhambra Decree, an edict ordering all Jews convert to Catholicism or depart Spain in three months' time under penalty of death. Against his wife's belief that converting is safer than exile, Vidal insists they flee. Unwillingly leaving behind their oldest daughter with her Catholic husband, Vidal's family joins a caravan of 200 Jews journeying to start their lives anew across the sea in Fez. On the caravan, Vidal struggles to balance his physician duties of caring for the sick while struggling to mend strained relationships with his family. At the same time, his daughter back home finds herself exposed to the Spanish Inquisition living as a converso in a Christian empire. Presenting readers with a painful but important part of Jewish history, South of Sepharad is a heroic, heart-breaking story of a father who holds tightly to his faith, his family, and his integrity all while confronting the grief of the past and the harsh realities of forced exile. Purchase South of Sepharad on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Eric's website, and follow him on Instagram,  Facebook and Twitter. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Amy Lynn Walsh joins me on the show today to talk about her new release, Nellie. It's part of the Apron Strings Series, a string of heartfelt inspirational stories by various authors featuring different women through the decades. Amy and I talked about the book's setting of Northeastern Pennsylvania, which is the area where we both live! We also discussed tuberculosis treatment, Amy's other books, and how she balances her writing life with her teaching career. Here's a description of Nellie: Finances are tight for the O’Dwyer family who live on a mountain outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1931. Life gets even harder when their beloved Dadaí must cease work as a coal miner to become a patient at the West Mountain Sanitarium. Nellie is her preferred name, but family and friends have heard Mam shout “Fenella Aileen O’Dwyer!” all too often with the countless predicaments she got herself into throughout childhood. So, it’s not altogether surprising when Nellie impulsively accepts a job as an assistant cook at the Clarinda House in a case of mistaken identity—though she’s the last person her family would ask to prepare a meal. Fortunately, along with determination, a talent for acting, and the gift of blarney, Nellie has Mrs. Canfield’s Cookery Book, a treasure she discovered at a Red Cross drought relief sale. As her reluctant admiration for her employer grows, Nellie wishes she could be the truthful woman of faith that Mr. Mason Peale esteems. If she confesses all, will she lose her job along with the friendships she’s formed at Clarinda House? Purchase Nellie on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Amy's website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Find her "Character Café" blog here and join the "Wisdom, Whimsy, & Wordsmithing" Group here. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Dean Cycon is an author, lawyer, human rights advocate and internationally renowned social entrepreneur. His debut novel, Finding Home, released last June. We talked about this tale of survivors of Auschwitz returning to their former town following World War II, why Jews in Hungary had a slightly different experience from those in other European countries, how Dean incorporated the perspective of the bystander into his story, and the role that music played in this novel. We also discussed how and why Dean turned from his former pursuits and began writing novels. Here is a description of Finding Home: The war is over, but hatred has not surrendered. Eighteen-year-old Eva Fleiss clung to sanity during nine months in Auschwitz by playing piano on imaginary keyboards. After liberation, Eva and the five remaining Jews of Laszlo, Hungary, journey to their hometown, seeking to restart their lives. Yet the town that deported them is not ready to embrace their return. Their homes and businesses are legally in the hands of former neighbors and friends, who resist relinquishing their new-found wealth and status. Eva longs to pursue her dream of being a concert pianist, all that remains of her past life. She is forced to clean her own home in exchange for practice time on the piano. Her profound experiences in Auschwitz allow Eva to access music at a depth she did not know existed. Her performances begin to affect those around her, with unexpected consequences. Purchase Finding Home on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Dean's website, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram. To enter the GIVEAWAY of Dean's novel, sign up for both Dean's mailing list and my mailing list by Sunday, February 11. (Instructions below). Subscribe to Dean's mailing list "Dispatches from Dean" by going to this link and scrolling to the bottom of the page to enter your email. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Then email me at alison@alisontreat.com to let me know that you subscribed! Deadline: Sunday, February 11 at midnight (Eastern Time) We'll email you if you're the winner!   Other ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Talia Carner's bio calls her an activist, a feminist, and a humanitarian who gives a voice to those without one. She's also a bestselling author. Today we talk about her latest novel, The Boy with the Star Tattoo, which released Tuesday. Here's a description of the novel: 1942:  As the Vichy government hunts for Jews across France, Claudette Pelletier, a young and talented seamstress and lover of romance novels, falls in love with a Jewish man who seeks shelter at the château where she works. Their whirlwind and desperate romance before he must flee leaves her pregnant and terrified. When the Nazis invade the Free Zone shortly after the birth of her child, the disabled Claudette is forced to make a heartbreaking choice and escapes to Spain, leaving her baby in the care of his nursemaid. By the time Claudette is able to return years later, her son has disappeared. Unbeknown to his anguished mother, the boy has been rescued by a Youth Aliyah agent searching for Jewish orphans. 1968:  When Israeli naval officer Daniel Yarden recruits Sharon Bloomenthal for a secret operation in Cherbourg, France, he can’t imagine that he is the target of her agenda. The twenty-year-old is grieving the recent loss of her fiancé in a drowned submarine, and also suspects that Danny’s past in Youth Aliyah may reflect that of her mysterious late mother. She sets out to track her boss’s extraordinary journey as an orphan in a quaint French village all the way to Israel. As Danny focuses on the future of his people and on executing a daring, crucial operation under France’s radar, he is unaware that the obsessed Sharon follows the breadcrumbs of clues across the country to find her answers. But she is wholly unprepared for the dilemma she must face upon solving the puzzle. Purchase The Boy with the Star Tattoo on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Talia's website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to my mailing list to receive book recommendations and samples of my writing! Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Today's episode features debut author Jamie Ogle. Her novel, Of Love and Treason, released Tuesday! It's a compelling novelization of the story of Saint Valentine of Rome. Jamie and I discussed her research process, the years she spent writing this story, and what she learned from learning about the persecution faced by Roman Christians during the third century. Here's a description of Of Love and Treason: Valentine defies the emperor and becomes a hero . . . and the most wanted man in the empire. Compelled by his faith, he has nothing to lose, until a chance encounter with the daughter of a Roman jailor changes everything.  Rome, AD 270. In the wake of the emperor’s marriage ban, rumors swirl that there is one man brave enough to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. A public notarius and leader of an underground church, Valentine believes the emperor’s edict unjust and risks his own life for the sake of his convictions. But as his fame grows, so do fears for his safety. Iris, the daughter of a Roman jailor, believes regaining her sight will ease the mounting troubles at home. Her last hope rests in searching out Valentine and his church, but the danger of associating with people labeled a threat to the empire is great. Still, as Iris's new friends lead her to faith in God, Iris is drawn to Valentine and they both begin to hope for a future together beyond the treacherous empire. But when a past debt and a staggering betrayal collide, Valentine, Iris, and everyone they love must fight for their lives . . . and wrestle with trusting a God who can restore sight yet does not always keep His followers from peril. Purchase Of Love and Treason on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Jamie's website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to my mailing list to receive book recommendations and samples of my writing! Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

In today's episode, I'm talking with Jenni L. Walsh. Her latest novel, Unsinkable, tells the story of Violet Jessop, a stewardess who survived the sinking of the Titanic as well as maritime disasters aboard Titanic's two sister ships! We talked about Jenni's desire to tell Violet's story along with her decision to write a dual timeline novel with a parallel story about another "unsinkable" woman. Jenni's loves sharing the stories of little-known women who've made remarkable contributions to history. Here's a description of Unsinkable: The Titanic was only the beginning. What she survived has become legend. Violet Jessop is Miss Unsinkable. After her mother becomes too ill to work, the responsibility to provide for the family falls to Violet as the oldest of nine. When the world enters the Great War, she serves as a nurse, helping men who could very well be her brothers. Working as a stewardess and wartime nurse, Violet not only survives a shipwreck but also two sinkings, one on the infamous Titanic. No one can understand why she would return to sea, but something keeps drawing Violet back to the tumultuous waters, where she struggles to put the tragedies of her past behind her and pursue a life and love all her own. Daphne has survived calamity of her own. Daphne Chaundanson grows up as an unwanted child after her mother died in a tragedy. She throws herself into education, collecting languages like candy in a desperate attempt to finally earn her father’s approval. When the Special Operations Executive invites her to be an agent in France in World War II, her childhood of anonymity and her love of languages make her the perfect fit. She sees it as an opportunity to help the country she loves and live up to her father's expectations. But the dangers of war challenge Daphne in ways she never could have expected, and the secrets from her own past must be faced for her to truly have a future beyond the conflict—if she can survive it. ​ Inspired by true stories of Violet Jessop and the thirty-nine women of the Special Operations Executive. Two unsinkable women. Two stories of survival, family, and finding one's own happiness. One connection that reshapes both their lives forever. Purchase Unsinkable on Amazon (affiliate). Purchase Violet Jessop's memoir on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Jenni's website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to my mailing list to receive book recommendations and samples of my writing! Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

The first episode of season seven features well-known author Laura Frantz. This is her fourth time on the show! Today she shares about her latest novel, The Seamstress of Acadie, which released Tuesday and is the #1 New Release in Christian Historical Fiction on Amazon! Laura and I talk about everything from Prince Edward Island and Lucy Maud Montgomery to the poem Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which first brought attention to the sad tale of Acadia. Here's a description of The Seamstress of Acadie from Revell: Gifted seamstress Sylvie Galant and her Acadian family desire to live peacefully and remain neutral in the upcoming war between the French and the English. But the proximity of their land on Acadie’s rugged shores makes them an easy target. While tensions escalate, Sylvie encounters Major William Blackburn. Although he is a British Army Ranger, Blackburn warns her that the British are poised to invade. But the warning cannot counteract the plans or stop the tide of English soldiers. William Blackburn has seen firsthand the atrocities that the British have done to the Acadian families and their villages. Rather than participate in the heinous expulsion, Will resigns his commission before a charge of treason is brought against him. When Sylvie is forcibly removed from her homeland, she finds herself on a ramshackle ship headed to Virginia, where she crosses paths once again with Will. Together they must work through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past to navigate the present and forge an enduring future. Purchase The Seamstress of Acadie on Amazon (affiliate). Purchase the journals of L.M. Montgomery on Amazon (affiliate). Purchase Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Laura's website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to my mailing list to receive book recommendations and samples of my writing! Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

This last episode of the season features New York Times bestselling author Katherine Howe and her latest release, A True Account: Hannah Masury's Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself. Katherine and I talked about the Golden Age of Piracy, how fiction tends to romanticize and sanitize piracy, and how we curate our own image in all kinds of ways. Here's a description of A True Account: In Boston, as the Golden Age of Piracy comes to a bloody close, Hannah Masury – bound out to service at a waterfront inn since childhood – is ready to take her life into her own hands. When a man is hanged for piracy in the town square and whispers of a treasure in the Caribbean spread, Hannah is forced to flee for her life, disguising herself as a cabin boy in the pitiless crew of the notorious pirate Edward "Ned" Low. To earn the freedom to choose a path for herself, Hannah must hunt down the treasure and change the tides. Meanwhile, professor Marian Beresford pieces Hannah’s story together in 1930, seeing her own lack of freedom reflected back at her as she watches Hannah's transformation. At the center of Hannah Masury’s account, however, lies a centuries-old mystery that Marian is determined to solve, just as Hannah may have been determined to take it to her grave. A True Account tells the unforgettable story of two women in different worlds, both shattering the rules of their own society and daring to risk everything to go out on their own account. Purchase A True Account: Hannah Masury's Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself on Amazon (affiliate). Purchase Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty on Amazon (affiliate). Purchase Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Katherine's website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Listen to my episode about my Top Ten Reads of 2023! Subscribe to my mailing list to receive book recommendations and samples of my writing! Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Today's show features a conversation with international bestselling author Téa Cooper about her latest novel to release in North America, The Butterfly Collector. Téa and I talked about her fascinating life story, how she comes upon her story ideas, as well as the themes and historically accurate events in this novel. These include the sinking of the SS Cawarra, the migration of Monarch butterflies to Australia, and the horrible business of "baby farming." Here's a description of The Butterfly Collector: 1868 Morpeth NSW Theodora Breckenridge, still in mourning after the loss of her parents and brother at sea, is more interested in working quietly on her art at the family's country estate than she is finding a husband in Sydney society, even if her elder sister Florence has other ideas. Theodora seeks to emulate prestigious nature illustrators, the Scott sisters, who lived nearby, so she cannot believe her luck when she discovers a butterfly never before sighted in Australia. With the help of Clarrie, her maid, and her beautiful illustrations, she is poised to make a natural science discovery that will put her name on the map. Then Clarrie's newborn son goes missing and everything changes. ​ 1922 Sydney NSW When would-be correspondent Verity Binks is sent an anonymous parcel containing a spectacular butterfly costume and an invitation to the Sydney Artists Masquerade Ball on the same day she loses her job at The Arrow, she is both baffled and determined to go. Her late grandfather Sid, an esteemed newspaperman, would expect no less of her. At the ball, she lands a juicy commission to write the history of the Treadwell Foundation - an institution that supports disgraced young women and their babies. But as she begins to dig, her investigation quickly leads her to an increasingly dark and complex mystery, a mystery fifty years in the making. Can she solve it? And will anyone believe her if she does? Purchase The Butterfly Collector on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Téa's website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to my mailing list to receive book recommendations and samples of my writing! Join my community and help support the show on Patreon! Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Hey friends, I'm coming to you solo this week (and about 12 hours early) because I want to share with you my favorite books of the year! Many of these books released this year, but all of them I read this year. Listen to the episode to hear detailed explanations of why I loved each novel and who they'd make great gifts for! Here are the affiliate links to purchase them on Amazon: 1.The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows 2. Letters from My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luessej 3. When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer 4. Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner 5. The Queen's Secret by Karen Harper 6. The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz 7. The Call of the Wrens by Jenni L. Walsh 8. The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy 9. The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky 10. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger If you'd like to listen to the episodes in which I discuss some of these books with the authors, click to hear me talk with Valerie Fraser Luesse, Gabrielle Meyer, Laura Frantz, Kimberly Duffy, and Carrie Turansky. Subscribe to my mailing list to receive book recommendations and samples of my writing! Join my community and help support the show on Patreon! Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler, is 20% off on Black Friday only on her website! Click this link and click the "Add to Cart" button to purchase an autographed copy with free shipping to the contiguous United States (while supplies last). Use this affiliate link to get your first month of Blubrry podcasting hosting free. Use the Hosting Estimator on their site to determine the best plan for you. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Henry O. Arnold is an actor and audiobook narrator as well as an author. In this delightful episode, we talk about his new book, The Fugitive King. It's the latest installment in his series "The Song of Prophets and Kings" and focuses on an exciting and trying time in the life of King David. We also discuss some of the other facets of Henry's career and how he balances it all. Here's a description of The Fugitive King: One king desperately on the run...One king in vengeful pursuit...One nation in dire turmoil. David is broken off from the realm. The world behind him is destroyed. The world before him is dangerous and unpredictable. He flees from the royal household of King Saul as a fugitive with a death sentence on his head. In his last days, the prophet Samuel passes the prophetic mantle to his proteges, instructing Nathan and Gad to serve Yahweh and the future king of Israel. But David is king only of caves and deserts, and his subjects are nothing but the dregs of society that flow to the lowest point of the land and stop at his feet. Mercenaries, adventurers, spies—or worse, assassins with no apparent loyalty. David, who once thought of himself as "an olive tree flourishing in the house of Yahweh," desperately appeals to the One who can save him: "You are my rock, my fortress. Into Your hands I commit my spirit." The Fugitive King continues the tale of triumph and tragedy, of deepest love and burning rivalries. The new epoch is given a voice . . . and it is The Song of Prophets and Kings. Purchase The Fugitive King on Amazon (affiliate). Also mentioned: Henry's role in The Hiding Place with Rabbit Room Theater. Check out Henry's website, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to my mailing list to receive book recommendations and samples of my writing! Join my community and help support the show on Patreon! Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Today's episode features my conversation with bestselling, Christy Award winning author Amanda Barratt. Her latest novel, The Warsaw Sisters, released on Tuesday. Along with the new book, Amanda and I discussed the Polish Underground, the Warsaw Uprising, the Wola Massacre, and the network of women that worked together to rescue Jewish children in Warsaw. There is so much to learn through this book and through my conversation with Amanda. Here's a description of The Warsaw Sisters: On a golden August morning in 1939, twin sisters Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska send their father off to defend Poland against the looming threat of German invasion. The next day, the first bombs fall on Warsaw, decimating their cherished city and shattering the world of their youth. When her beloved Marek is forced behind ghetto walls along with the rest of Warsaw’s Jewish population, Antonina knows she cannot stand by and soon becomes a key figure in a daring network of women risking their lives to shelter Jewish children. Meanwhile, Helena finds herself drawn into the ranks of Poland’s secret army, joining the fight to free her homeland from occupation. But the secrets both are forced to keep threaten to tear the sisters apart—and the cost of resistance may prove greater than either ever imagined. Shining a light on the oft-forgotten history of Poland during WWII and inspired by true stories of ordinary individuals who fought to preserve freedom and humanity in the darkest of times, The Warsaw Sisters is a richly rendered portrait of courage, sacrifice, and the resilience of our deepest ties. Purchase The Warsaw Sisters on Amazon (affiliate). Purchase My Dearest Dietrich on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Amanda's website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to my mailing list to receive free book recommendations and samples of my writing! Join my community and help support the show on Patreon! Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Often called the “Queen of Historical Christian Fiction,” Tracie Peterson is an ECPA, CBA and USA Today best-selling author of more than 110 books, most of those historical. Her work in historical fiction has earned her a myriad of awards. On today's show, Tracie and I talk about her upcoming novel, Knowing You, which releases next week and is the final installment in her Pictures of the Heart series. We discuss the themes of racism, forgiveness, and finding yourself, as well as her research process and the gift she has for collaborating with various coauthors. Here is a description of Knowing You: Could a captivating art exhibit hold the key to truth—and love? Budding artist May Parker is captivated by the Japanese exhibits at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition and longs to know more about her mother's heritage--which her mother refuses to speak of because of the heartache she left behind in Japan. Wanting to experience more of the exhibits, May works as a Camera Girl—but her curiosity leads her into danger when a suit of samurai armor becomes the target of an elusive art forger. After ten years apart, May is reunited with her childhood friend Lee Munro, a police detective assigned to keep a watchful eye on the exposition. Their friendship immediately begins to blossom with hints of something more, but when they become entangled in a dangerous heist involving the samurai armor and their love is threatened, can they overcome the odds against them? Purchase Knowing You on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Tracie's website, and follow her on Facebook Also mentioned: Browse some of the old Heartsong Presents books (affiliate) Read more about the Kodak Brownie camera. Subscribe to my mailing list to receive free book recommendations and samples of my writing! Join my community and help support the show on Patreon! Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!