A few months ago, while clearing the living room for new carpeting, we spent an afternoon sorting through our bookshelves. I ended up donating enough books to fill the back of my Jeep Compass – a process that felt bittersweet, but ultimately freeing. As I boxed up books to drop off at the local Goodwill,… Continue reading
As I am always on the hunt for good historical books that don’t read like dry and overly-complicated textbooks, I was excited to discover The Taking of Jemima Boone: Colonial Settlers, Tribal Nations, and the Kidnap That Shaped America by Matthew Pearl. Listening to the audiobook version, I am amazed at how little I knew… Continue reading
A few years ago I watched the movie “Irena’s Vow” and it’s one of the most intense Holocaust-based movies I’ve seen. “Caught in a German roundup to be used as a slave laborer, Polish nurse Irena Gut becomes a German army major’s housekeeper during World War II. Irena risks her life to conceal a dozen… Continue reading
If there are two subjects guaranteed to grab my attention, they are history and food – and The Victory Kitchen Podcast combines them beautifully. The series explores American food rationing during World War II, when everyday cooks were asked to stretch meat, sugar, butter, and other staples while still putting satisfying meals on the family… Continue reading
Several years ago, I became engrossed with historical cooking. To dig deeper into the topic, I downloaded the audio version of ‘The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South’ by Michael W. Twitty. Unfortunately the listening proved to be a little more academic than I was hoping for, so… Continue reading
My fascination with the Civil War has only deepened over the years, especially as my genealogy research has revealed just how many branches of my own tree were touched by the conflict. On line after line, I’ve discovered ancestors and relatives who served the Union, turning names, regiments, battles and dates in history books into… Continue reading
When I’m not listening to audio books during my daily commute, you’ll usually find me tuned into a history podcast. Over the year I’ve sampled quite a few, but I’ve narrowed my regular listening down to two that I always look forward to new releases. Both are meticulously researched, engagingly presented and have introduced me… Continue reading
