Join us for an interview with bestselling author Amanda Cabot. Her books have been honored with a starred review from Publishers Weekly and have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. In this episode, she shares with us about her latest releaseA Spark of Love.
As 2021 comes to an end, I feel especially grateful for the Historical Bookworm Show. When we started out, there were a lot of unknowns, and it required some faith to start this show from the ground up.
Thank you, listeners, for your time and support of the authors we have on the show. And, a special thanks to all the authors who have given of their time and hearts to be here.
We wanted to let you all know we will be taking the months of January and February off for personal reasons. Our plan is to be back in March with new books and more wonderful authors.
To celebrate a successful year, we are giving away free books! That’s right, we are running a giveaway for the month of January. Three winners will each get to choose a book that we featured on the Historical Bookworm Show in 2021.
Thank you again for listening!
In the words of Charles Dickens, “…may the New Year be a happy one to you, happy to many more whose happiness depends on you!”
In our Pinch of the Past we take a peek at New Years traditions and where they originated from. From the 12 Grapes of to Luck in Spain to the burning of scarecrows in Eucadore and wassailing in the colonial period.
Bookworm Review: If you’re in the mood for sweet love stories with beautifully described countryside, and themes that put one in the mood for Christmas, you won’t want to miss Under The Texas Mistletoe by Karen Witemeyer.
For those who love to smile as they read, today’s guest offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen Witemeyer chats with us about her 3-in-1 Christmas novella collection Under The Texas Mistletoe.
Pinch of the Past: Do you enjoy a good spy thriller? I know I do, movie or book. We often see spy thrillers set in a modern-day, Cold War, and both World Wars. For this Pinch of the Past, we are going to look even further back into history, all the way back to the Revolutionary War. Did you know that there were female spies for George Washington? Yep. One, in particular, is referred to so briefly in code that she is known simply as Agent 355.
Our Bookworm Review features A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano. We highly recommend this book to readers who are in the mood for a charming romance and a story that pulls apart a preconceived life and fills it with God’s better plan.
Do you enjoy a good spy thriller? I know I do, movie or book. We often see spy thrillers set in a modern-day, Cold War, and both World Wars. For this Pinch of the Past, we are going to look even further back into history, all the way back to the Revolutionary War.
Did you know that there were female spies for George Washington? Yep. One, in particular, is referred to so briefly in code that she is known simply as Agent 355.
Artist tribute to Agent 355
It is believed she was part of the Culper Spy Ring–a ring of spies established by General Washington and Major Benjamin Tallmadge. She was tasked with finding information about the British Army’s operations in New York City.
Likely, a lady of some class who had privy to the inner circles of British Military higher-ups.
Some believe Agent 355 was Ms. Anna Strong, a neighbor of Abraham Woodhull– a leading member of the Culper Spy Ring in New York during the American Revolutionary War.
According to oral history, Anna relayed messages regarding a whaleboat courier that smuggled across the Long Island Sound by hanging a black pettie coat and colored handkerchiefs on her clothesline, signaling which of the coves the boat would dock.
Lydia Darrah Giving Warning: From an engraving in Godey’s Lady’s Book, 1845
Another possible candidate for the role of this female spy is Lydia Darrah, a wife in Philadelphia who eavesdropped on a secret meeting while British soldiers met in her house.
She was able to warn George Washington about an impending attack, thereby preventing much blood shed.
Later when the chief of British Intelligence, Major John Andre investigated the leak, Lydia (whose husband had hosted the meeting) was never suspected since being a woman she would naturally have the same political views as her husband.
Another theory is that Agent 355 was a relative of Robert Townsend, an operative in the Culper spy.
Some believe she was arrested in 1780 when Benedict Arnold betrayed the Patriots. She was said to be imprisoned on the HMS Jersey where she gave birth to a boy, and then later died aboard a prison ship. However, there are no records to support the birth and women were also not held on prison ships at that time.
One truth that may have given birth to the alleged imprisonment of Agent 355 on a ship is that Anna Strong was said to bring her husband food while he was imprisoned on the Jersey.
Portion of the Cupler Spy Ring Code. Talmadge, 1793, Codes from George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799: Series 4. General Correspondence. 1697-18-99. Library of congress.
We see remnants of Agent 355 in fiction today. In real life, the Culper Spy Ring was so secret, their existence to the public did not become known until the 1930s. That’s 150 years of anonymity.
One piece of evidence we do have is a message written by Abraham Woodhull which says he would be visiting New York again and, “by the assistance of a [lady] of my acquaintance, shall be able to outwit them all.” In two months, a steady stream of headquarters-level intelligence on the British Army entail poured to Washington.
Agent 355, as depicted in an 1863 issue of Harper’s Weekly
Some believe the code 355 which, when the cryptography system the Culper Ring used was decrypted meant simply “lady,” might have alluded to female spies that worked for the Patriots in the Culper Ring.
Well, there you have it–a tiny glimpse at espionage in the Revolutionary War.
Join us and guest Joanna Davidson Politano as she chats about her latest novel A Midnight Dance. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone’s story. She lives with her husband and their kids in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan.
Last week’s Pinch of the Past was so fun we split it into two segments. Enjoy learning about the origins of Red Velvet Cake and a vegetarian dish made of necessity during WWII.
On our Bookworm Review, we feature The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox. If you’re seeking a redeeming story involving the unbreakable, but sometimes fragile relationships between mothers and daughters, The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery is a must read. You can find the entire written review here.
Join WW2 novelist and podcast host Liz Tolzma as she talks about her latest release A Picture of Hope, book two in the Heroines of WWII Series. Liz is also the host of the Christian Historical Fiction Talk–a weekly podcast featuring author chats, industry news, and discussions of what you’re reading.
On our Pinch of the Past we look at part 1 of Historical Foods We Enjoy Today. Do you enjoy Jello and sandwiches? Not together, of course! Well, here is a little history about the two. Would you believe one of these dishes first became popular in the US because of a gambling addiction?
If you’re in the mood for a sweet romantic suspense with an unforgettable storyline, then you don’t want to missA Deep Divide (Secrets of the Canyon Book #1) by Kimberly Woodhouse.
In this segment of the Pinch of the Past, we talk about the history of Chess, Backgammon, and Go. Most of the games that have survived for centuries involve intense strategy and lots of abstract thinking. I’m not sure what exactly that indicates–maybe they were born of long winters of boredom. Or maybe people just enjoy a chance to outsmart their friends.
If you enjoy historical fiction based on a different aspect of World War II with notes of mystery, moral questions, and superb characterization, add The Lines Between Us by Amy Lynn Green to your fall reading list. Read the review here.
