HISTORICAL HAPPY HOUR
Hosted by Jane Healey, Historical Happy Hour is a live interview and podcast featuring premiere historical fiction authors and their latest novels.
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Episode 30: A Beautiful Rival, Gill Paul
In this stunning new novel, bestselling author Gill Paul reveals the unknown history of cosmetic titans Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein and their infamous rivalry that spanned not only decades, but also broken marriages, personal tragedies, and a world that was changing dramatically for women—perfect for fans of Fiona Davis, Marie Benedict, and Beatriz Williams.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
- Episode: 29
- November 16, 2023
From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history….
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
- Episode: 28
- October 12, 2023
From the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Magnolia Palace: A thrilling story about love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams, set amidst the glamour and glitz of Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday….
A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan
- Episode: 27
- September 25, 2023
From the author of The School for German Brides, this captivating historical novel set in nineteenth-century and post–World War II Paris follows two fierce women of the same family, generations apart, who find that their futures lie in the four walls of a simple bakery in a tiny corner…
California Golden by Melanie Benjamin
- Episode: 26
- August 29, 2023
Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author joins us to discuss her latest novel California Golden, tells the story of two sisters navigating the thrilling, euphoric early days of California surf culture in a dazzling saga of ambition, sacrifice, and the tangled ties between mothers and daughters. Entertainment Weekly calls…
The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin
- Episode: 25
- July 29, 2023
Madeline Martin is a New York Times and International Bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance. Her latest novel The Keeper of Hidden Books is a heartwarming story about the power of books to bring people together based on the real life heroic efforts of Warsaw’s librarians during…
Night Angels by Weina Dai Randel
- Episode: 24
- July 2, 2023
Weina Dai Randel joins Jane Healey to talk about her novel, Night Angels. From the author of The Last Rose of Shanghai comes a profoundly moving novel about a diplomatic couple who risked their lives to help Viennese Jews escape the Nazis, based on the true story of Dr. Ho Fengshan, Righteous Among the…
Daughters of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt
- Episode: 23
- June 2, 2023
Set against Nantucket’s Great Fire of 1846, this sweeping, emotional novel brings together three courageous women battling to save everything they hold dear… Nantucket in 1846 is an island set apart not just by its geography but by its unique circumstances. With their menfolk away at sea, often for…
The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi
- Episode: 22
- May 8, 2023
Alka Joshi joins us to talk about her new novel, The Perfumist of Paris. The final chapter in her New York Times bestselling Jaipur trilogy takes readers to 1970s Paris where Radha’s budding career as a perfumer must compete with the demands of her family and the secrets of her…
The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris
- Episode: 21
- February 25, 2023
New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris is our guest! Join us to discuss her new novel, The Ways We Hide, a sweeping World War II tale of an illusionist whose recruitment by British intelligence sets her on a perilous, heartrending path….
The Witch of Tin Mountain by Paulette Kennedy
- Episode: 20
- January 26, 2023
Paulette Kennedy is my latest guest to discuss her new novel, The Witch of Tin Mountain, a witchy southern gothic set in rural Northern Arkansas during the Great Depression, coming to you February 1st, 2023 from Lake Union Publishing. …
The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Loigman
- Episode: 19
- December 1, 2022
From Lynda Cohen Loigman, the bestselling author of The Two-Family House and The Wartime Sisters, comes 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 in The Matchmaker’s Gift….
Where the Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen
- Episode: 18
- October 30, 2022
Bestselling author Rhys Bowen discusses her new novel, Where the Sky Begins. A woman’s future is determined by fate and choice in a gripping WWII novel about danger, triumph, and second chances by the New York Times bestselling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Tuscan Child. London, 1940….
Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women by Kris Waldherry
- Episode: 17
- October 21, 2022
This month’s book pick for Historical Happy Hour is perfect for Halloween! Please join me and the fabulous author Kris Waldherr as we celebrate the launch of her latest novel Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women. Some tales aren’t what you think. For the first time, the untold…
The Thread Collectors by Alyson Richman and Shaunna Edwards
- Episode: 16
- September 15, 2022
1863: In a small Creole cottage in New Orleans, an ingenious young Black woman named Stella embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. Bound to a man who would kill her if he knew of her clandestine activities, Stella has…
The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb
- Episode: 14
- June 2, 2022
This is a novel of the dark secrets of Ellis Island, when entry to “the land of the free” promised a better life but often delivered something drastically different, and when immigrant strength and female friendship found ways to triumph even on the darkest days. Inspired by true events…
Angels of the Pacific by Elise Hooper
- Episode: 13
- April 27, 2022
Inspired by the extraordinary true stories of World War II’s American Army nurses famously known as the Angels of Bataan and the unsung contributions of Filipinas of the resistance, this novel transports us to a remarkable era of hope, bravery, perseverance, and ultimately—victory….
Antoinette’s Sister by Diana Giovinazzo
- Episode: 12
- April 25, 2022
As Marie Antoinette took her last breath as Queen of France in Paris, another formidable monarch—Antoinette’s dearly beloved sister, Charlotte—was hundreds of miles away, in Naples, fighting desperately to secure her release from the revolutionaries who would take her life. Little did Charlotte know, however, that her sister’s execution…
Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor
- Episode: 11
- April 1, 2022
USA Today best-selling author Jillian Cantor reimagines and expands on the literary classic The Great Gatsby in this atmospheric historical novel with echoes of Big Little Lies, told in three women’s alternating voices….
The Last Season by Jenny Judson and Danielle Mahfood
- Episode: 10
- November 18, 2021
The Last Season is a collaboration between Jenny Judson and Danielle Mahfood, who met in high school and shared a mutual love of historical fiction and romance novels. Instead of passing notes in class, Jenny and Danielle would write short excerpts from imaginary novels that featured themselves and their classmates…
Defending Britta Stein by Ron Balson
- Episode: 9
- October 21, 2021
Thrilled to have Ron Balson, bestselling author and winner of the National Jewish Book Award, as my guest for this month’s Historical Happy Hour. We will be discussing his latest novel, Defending Britta Stein, a fascinating story of bravery, betrayal and redemption. …
The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison
- Episode: 8
- September 22, 2021
My guest for this Historical Happy Hour is Nicola Harrison to discuss her new novel, The Show Girl. The Show Girl gives a glimpse of the glamorous world of the Ziegfeld Follies through the eyes of a young midwestern woman who comes to New York City to find her…
The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan
- Episode: 7
- August 14, 2021
My guest for Historical Happy Hour is bestselling author Mark Sullivan. He will be joining me to discuss his latest novel, The Last Green Valley, the epic WWII story of one family’s decision to escape tyranny and run to freedom. …
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland
- Episode: 6
- July 22, 2021
Join us for a special Catskills edition of H3 with Elyssa Friedland, author of Last Summer at the Golden Hotel. We’ll go back in time to discuss the hotter-than hot vacation destination in the 50s, why it was known as the Borscht Belt, and its depiction in Dirty Dancing….
Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan
- Episode: 5
- June 20, 2021
ONE ICONIC FAMILY. ONE SUMMER OF SECRETS. THE DAZZLING SPIRIT OF 1970S CALIFORNIA.“A delicious daydream of a book.” —Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of 28 Summers … “With lyrical writing and a page-turning plot, this sun-dappled book has it all: heart, smarts, and an irresistible musical beat.” —Karen Dukess, author of The…
The Secrets We Left Behind by Soraya Lane
- Episode: 4
- June 3, 2021
Occupied France, 1940. When the staff at a field hospital draw straws to find out who will join the evacuation from Dunkirk, Nurse Cate is left behind. But when the Nazis arrive to claim prisoners of war, she takes her chance and flees into the night, taking one patient…
The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff
- Episode: 3
- April 15, 2021
New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff is our guest! Join us to discuss her new novel, The Woman with the Blue Star. Inspired by harrowing true stories, the novel is an emotional testament to the power of friendship and the extraordinary strength of the human will to survive….
Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig
- Episode: 2
- March 21, 2021
A group of young women from Smith College risk their lives in France at the height of World War I in this sweeping novel based on a true story—a skillful blend of Call the Midwife and The Alice Network—from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig….
The Last Tiara by M.J. Rose
- Episode: 1
- February 21, 2021
From New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller M.J. Rose comes a provocative and moving story of a young female architect in post-World War II Manhattan, who stumbles upon a hidden treasure and begins a journey to discovering her mother’s life during the fall of the Romanovs….
