FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

Gayvin welcomes Jim Dodson, who explores the spiritual and ancestral heart of the Great Wagon Road. While the road is famous for trade and war, Jim introduces us to the heroines within its history—specifically his ancestor, Emma Tate. Emma was a woman with a foot in two worlds: a Native American infant rescued and adopted into a settler family, she grew into a renowned natural healer along Buckhorn Road. Gayvin and Jim discuss Emma’s intuitive gifts and how she represents the complex, multicultural tapestry of the American frontier. Healers like Emma were the lifeblood of their communities, bridging the gap between colonial life and the deep, natural wisdom of the land. It’s a soulful exploration of identity, faith-driven healing, and the indigenous roots often hidden in our family trees.

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Why is it so challenging to find the women of our past? Host Gayvin Powers sits down with acclaimed author Jim Dodson to discuss the archival silence that often masks female history. In this clip, Gayvin and Jim bond over painstakingly digging for historical truth.

In the full episode, Jim opens up about his five-year journey to write The Road That Made America, admitting that even when researching his own lineage, women’s stories were frequently buried beneath the surface. For Gayvin, who has dedicated her work to uncovering ancestors like Jacquetta, Countess Rivers, this struggle is a familiar one. Join the conversation as they discuss the detective work required to find the hidden heroines of historical fiction and the personal stakes of reclaiming a family’s lost female legacy.

Join the conversation on Tuesday! The Road That Made America with Jim Dodson Episode released May 12 on Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, and Apple.

The Great Wagon Road often features dusty men with rifles and surveyors’ tools. In the Hidden Heroines of History Podcast, guest Jim Dodson reveals a far more nuanced reality. Jim shares the striking historical truth that women weren't just passengers on the 800-mile journey from Philadelphia to Georgia; they were often the primary drivers, steering heavy wagons through treacherous terrain and managing the survival of their families in the wilderness. His research for his new book, The Road That Made America, challenges the silent passenger myth, showing us women who were literal and metaphorical drivers of our nation’s expansion. Step onto the road with us as we recover the grit and grace of the women who navigated the literal path to the American future.

The Road That Made America with Jim Dodson Episode released Tuesday, May 12 on Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, and Apple.

Discover Margaret Mattson, a healer from the 17th century American colonies, whose life was nearly destroyed by a wrongful charge of witchcraft 10 years before the Salem witch trials.

Host Gayvin Powers and actress and writer Gina Dodson dive into why Margaret's story sparks a personal chord as Gina bravely shares a harrowing experience of being charged with a crime she did not commit.

Join us for a powerful exploration of justice and resilience. From Margaret’s colonial trial to Gina’s personal battle, this episode is a testament to the enduring strength required to reclaim one’s truth from the shadows of false accusation.

A teaser for an evocative episode about Margaret Mattson on Hidden Heroines of History. Journey back to the 17th century with Host Gayvin Powers and actress and writer Gina Dodson, to honor Margaret, a Swedish-Finnish healer whose life was nearly destroyed by a wrongful charge of witchcraft in the American colonies.

The conversation strikes a personal chord as Gina bravely shares her own modern-day parallel: the harrowing experience of being charged with a crime she did not commit. Through our dialogue, we bridge three hundred years of history, revealing how society’s fear of the "other" continues to weaponize the law against women.

Join us for a powerful exploration of justice and resilience on Tuesday, April 21. From Margaret’s colonial trial to Gina’s personal battle, this episode is a testament to the enduring strength required to reclaim one’s truth from the shadows of false accusation.

The perfect life was a gilded cage.

In this week's episode of Hidden Heroines of History, host Gayvin Powers sits down with Meagan Church, the brilliant mind behind the unnerving book, The Mad Wife, an instant New York Times and USA Today Bestseller. Together, they peel back the linoleum floors of the 1950s to reveal a chilling reality: for many women, "sanity" was a performance, and "hysteria" was a weapon used to silence those who dared to want more.

Church dives deep into the suffocating expectations of mid-century motherhood, where a woman’s worth was measured in S&H Green Stamps and the height of her gelatin salads. We explore the terrifying medical gaslighting of the era—where postpartum struggles and valid anxieties were cured with mind-numbing pills and labels of madness. It’s a raw, necessary conversation about the "mad wife" in the mirror and the strength it took to survive a world that refused to see her.

Listen to Meagan Church, award-winning author of The Mad Wife, talk about the traveling lobotomobile in the 1950s. Hear upcoming episode on the Hidden Heroines of History Podcast releases Tuesday, April 7 at 12 am.

Get ready for a fascinating deep dive into the mid-century living room! In this exclusive clip from the Hidden Heroines of History podcast, host Gayvin Powers chats with Meagan Church, author of The Mad Wife, to uncover the real stories behind the 1950s "perfect housewife."

We’re swapping the aprons for some serious truth-telling as we tackle the wild myth of the "wandering womb" and how "hysteria" was used to keep women in their place. It’s an engaging, eye-opening look at how our history shaped the modern woman. Grab a tea and join the conversation!

Get ready to step into the gilded—and often blood-stained—halls of history’s most powerful dynasties. In this week’s episode of Hidden Heroines of History, host Gayvin Powers sits down with a master of historical intrigue, Sherry Jones, to deconstruct her popular book, Four Sisters: All Queens.While history books often focus on the crowns, Jones peels back the velvet curtain to reveal the raw, jagged edges of sibling rivalry on a royal scale. Imagine growing up in a world where your sister isn’t just your playmate—she’s your future political rival, and her marriage could mean your demise. We’re diving deep into the Provencal sisters, four women who climbed the ranks of 13th-century Europe to each wear a crown, but at what cost to their shared bloodline?Powers and Jones explore the psychological warfare, the desperate grab for parental favor, and the high-stakes jealousy that simmers when "family dinner" involves the fate of nations. Was it sisterly solidarity that saw them through, or a calculated race to the top? Watch the conversation that reveals the power and intrigue each queen brought to the throne.

What would you do if you had a second chance at love? Jane Austen explores regret, sacrifice, and true love in Persuasion, following Anne Elliot. Clare Draycott, author, joins me as we chat about Jane's most resilent character and how closely tied Jane is to Anne. Join our conversation today.