Frances Perkins, first female cabinet secretary in US history, was the mind (and the will) behind nearly every landmark policy of the Roosevelt administration's New Deal - so why doesn't anyone know her name? Bestselling author Stephanie Dray introduces us to this remarkable woman whose vision and relentless hard work would touch the life of every American for nearly a century.

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"This was one woman with a very little life, who made the most enormous difference." Celia Brayfield shares with Katie the story of Anna Sewell who, on her death bed, wrote a story and changed the world.

Black Beauty was no mere "horse book." It catapulted the cause of animal rights and became one of the bestselling books of all time. But Anna Sewell -a quiet, humble Quaker- didn't change the world by preaching: she changed the world by listening.

You can find Celia Brayfield's new book, Writing Black Beauty, in our bookshop and support local indie sellers.

Excerpts from Black Beauty were read by Cori Samuel and the whole book is free to download at Librivox.org.

Music for this episode was composed and performed by: The Mini Vandals, Asher Fulero, Aakash Gandhi, Kevin MacLeod, Josef Suk, and Esther Abrami.

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In 1931, a young American aspiring writer set off for what she thought would be a one-year adventure in China. Hoping to gain life experience so she could eventually write the Great American Novel - she would instead become famous as the "Voice of China" to the west, and improve the lives of millions of people in the process. Olivia talks with Helen Foster Snow's great-nephew Adam Foster and her friend and translator Professor An Wei in this unexpected and inspiring episode.

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Selma Lagerlöf poetically recorded old Norse fairytales and profoundly influenced Swedish identity. Her work was so brilliant, she was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1909. In old age, she turned her poetic pen to her own life, recalling winters in the 1860s at her beloved Varmland farmhouse, Mårbaka.

For our annual Christmas Special, we bring her poignant memoirs to life, accompanied by an audio feast of traditional Swedish music. God Jul!

Music featured in this episode was generously shared by Blås, Balg & Tagel, Haga Vokalensemble, MrsBean 1987, Kevin MacLeod, Aaron Kenny, DJ Williams, The Westerlies, and Wayne Jones.

You can find a digital copy of Mårbaka and all Selma Lagerlöf's books at Gutenberg Project.

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When Alice Roosevelt's dad became President of the United States, her family became the center of attention for the entire country (and the world) - and that was just how she liked it. Whether smoking on the White House roof, racing her bright red motorcar through the streets of Washington DC, or wearing her snake Emily Spinach as jewelry while attending Congressional Balls - Alice scandalized her parents and delighted the nation. But that was just the beginning.

Olivia interviews Shelley Fraser Mickle, author of the new book White House Wild Child: How Alice Roosevelt Broke All the Rules and Won the Heart of America.

Music for this episode provided by Amanda Setlik Wilson, Aaron Kenny, The New Hot 5, Peak Duo, Victor Dance Orchestra, Esther Abrami, The Melody Weavers and the US Marine Corps Band.

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Come with us to peak Gilded Age America! We'll watch a charmingly unconventional love story unfold, cure yellow fever, stare at some incredible wallpaper and explore fascinating reasons why women should NOT vote. Katie takes us on location to Ethel Gibson Allen's Boston mansion, now the Gibson House Museum.

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Countess Elizabeth Báthory was a monster - a sadistic, murderous, vampire-witch who, in her castle in Hungary in the early 1600s, tortured and murdered over 600 young girls, then bathed in the blood of her victims.

Or did she? Was she truly the supreme supernatural evil of 500 years of legend? Or was she an innocent victim of witch-hunt hysteria and political scheming?

Or was she something else entirely?

Dig into the mysteries of this gruesome, complicated tale with our guest, legal historian Kimberly Craft, in our 2023 Halloween Special.

Music featured in this episode was provided by Kevin Macleod, Doug Maxwell, Esther Abrami, Aaron Kenny, Brian Bolger, Jimena Contreras, Quincas Moreira, Twin Musicom, Myuu and John Patitucci.

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Without the daughters of Genghis Khan, there would have been no Mongol Empire. Four women ruled over North, South, East, and West, in what would become the largest land empire in the history of the world. It's a story you've never heard, because the sisters were literally cut out of the Mongol records. Join us with eminent Mongol scholar Jack Weatherford, who went searching for the missing story... and found it.

Illustrations by Brooke Smart.

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Say you join a revolution in the name of liberty and equality. Then someone hands you a crown. Could you do more good, with that power? Or will everything fall apart? Come with us to Haiti and across Europe in the twisty-turny tale of THE QUEEN OF HAITI, Marie-Louise Christophe.

Katie's guest is Vanessa Riley, author of Queen of Exiles.

To learn more about the sound recordings by anthropologist Alan Lomax, check out CulturalEquity.org, and the American Folklife Center. We featured "Valtz Creole" by Musique Creole Group, and a number of voodoo ceremony recordings.

Additional music was composed by ELPHNT, Kevin Macleod, Jimena Contreras, Quincas Moreira, Sir Cubworth, Aaron Kenny, Brian Bolger, Beethoven and Mendelssohn.

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How did a 25-year-old German Jewish refugee with no formal photography training become 'half of' the most celebrated war photographer in history? Returning guest Kip Wilson takes us right into the heart of the Spanish Civil War to meet Gerda Taro - subject of Wilson's newest novel One Last Shot and the most famous photojournalist you've never heard of.

Music featured in this episode was provided by Trialogo, The Mini Vandals, Sir Cubworth, Doug Maxwell, Aaron Kenny, and Esther Abrami. 

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