History Through Fiction - The Podcast

History Through Fiction founder and editor Colin Mustful talks with historical novelists about their craft of weaving history and fiction to create engaging, historically detailed stories.

History Through Fiction - The Podcast is a fiction podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts History Through Fiction - The Podcast, a fiction show with 0 episodes published.

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  Episode #17

  Eliza Knight on Lost in the Summer of 69: Music, Memory, and Starting Over at Any Age

  Sep 7, 202626 minS11

  In this episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast , host Colin Mustful speaks with Eliza Knight, author of Lost in the Summer of 69 , about the music, memory, and family ties behind a grandmother’s daring 1969 road trip. When Eleanor Bell is diagnosed with dementia, the widow and former musician decides to travel west to revisit the concerts and songs that shaped her life—before memory makes them harder to reach. Eleanor’s daughter Leanne and teenage granddaughter Nora set out after her, turning a search into a three-generation journey through the changing sound of the late 1960s. Knight and Colin discuss why Woodstock was only one part of 1969’s concert story; the research required to get artists, dates, roads, gas stations, hotels, and Howard Johnson menus right; and the choices that let historical fiction honor the record while still making room for imagination. They also talk about road-trip rituals, family expectations, and the possibility of beginning again at any age. Knight is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction, creator of the History Undressed blog, and host of the History, Books and Wine podcast. In the conversation, she shares how she moves among historical fiction, historical romance, and other forms of storytelling—and how an MFA, teaching, and a carefully scheduled creative life help sustain the work. History Through Fiction is a home for stories that bring the past into conversation with the present, connecting readers and writers through historical novels, workshops, events, and community. Discover more at https://www.historythroughfiction.com .

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  Episode #16

  Stephanie Dray on Abigail Adams, Frances Perkins, and the Work of Democracy

  Aug 31, 202630 minS11

  In this episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast , host Colin Mustful speaks with historical novelist Stephanie Dray about two women who helped shape the United States from outside the official centers of power: Abigail Adams, featured in A Founding Mother , and Frances Perkins, the subject of Becoming Madam Secretary . Their stories offer a vivid way into an enduring question: who gets to define freedom, and what does democracy demand from ordinary citizens? The conversation begins with Abigail Adams—wife of John Adams, mother of John Quincy Adams, and a forceful thinker in her own right. Dray describes Abigail raising children, managing a farm, seeking financial independence, and challenging the revolutionary promise of “all men are created equal” with her famous appeal to “remember the ladies.” From there, the episode moves to Frances Perkins, the New Deal architect whose work helped shape Social Security, labor protections, workplace safety, and the nation’s evolving social contract. Dray also reflects on the family history that led her to recognize Perkins’s impact on her own relatives’ lives. A novelist of women whose contributions have often been overlooked, Stephanie Dray brings together archival research, historical imagination, and close attention to voice. She discusses the challenge of transforming letters and public records into emotionally immediate stories, the changing dynamics of co-writing, and the perseverance required to carry a major project through unexpected obstacles. (Draft guest framing based on the episode transcript; please verify final credits before publishing.) At History Through Fiction , the past becomes most vivid through story, conversation, and the craft of imagining lives that official histories have too often left at the margins. Discover the catalog of historical novels, workshops, events, and community at https://www.historythroughfiction.com .

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  Episode #15

  Kerri Maher on Summer of Love: Sisterhood, Sobriety, and the 1967 Bay Area

  Aug 24, 202626 minS11

  In this episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast , Colin Mustful speaks with Kerri Maher, author of Summer of Love , about the myths and realities of the 1967 Bay Area counterculture. Through the lens of family, art, addiction, and reinvention, this conversation invites listeners to look beyond flower-crown nostalgia and into the emotional complexity of a turbulent era. Together, they explore Maher’s dual-timeline novel, which follows two sisters pulled in different directions by the cultural upheavals of the late 1960s and a later-generation storyline shaped by questions of sobriety, memory, and healing. The discussion moves from Berkeley and San Francisco to Napa wine country, tracing how place, research, and lived family stories helped Maher create a world that feels both vivid and deeply human. Kerri Maher is the author of Summer of Love and several historical novels, including The Kennedy Debutante . Drawing on her California roots, family stories from the 1960s, and a long, hard-won writing journey, she brings both personal insight and narrative craft to a novel about longing, change, and the search for connection. History Through Fiction is a home for readers, writers, and history lovers who believe the past comes alive through story. Explore more historical novels, discover workshops and events, and join the wider community at https://www.historythroughfiction.com .

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  Episode #14

  Rhys Bowen on The Castle in the Glen, the Isle of Skye, and Writing a Mystery Within a Mystery

  Aug 17, 202623 minS11

  In this episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast , host Colin Mustful welcomes bestselling author Rhys Bowen to discuss her new novel, The Castle in the Glen . Set against the stark beauty and quiet danger of Scotland’s Isle of Skye, this conversation explores how place, memory, and layered storytelling can transform a historical mystery into something haunting and unforgettable. Together, Colin and Rhys dive into the origins of the novel, from Bowen’s early memories of Skye as a place of both beauty and threat to the intricate structure of a story built around a famous novelist, a young writer, and a mystery that may be rooted in real events. They talk about writing across multiple timelines, creating a novel-within-a-novel, and building suspense by slowly peeling back each layer of danger and discovery. Along the way, Rhys also reflects on research, historical authenticity, collaboration, pen names, audiobooks, and the unexpected ways stories can matter deeply in readers’ lives. Rhys Bowen is the internationally bestselling author of numerous historical novels and mysteries, including the Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness series. In this episode, she offers a fascinating look at the craft behind The Castle in the Glen and the creative choices that help bring both landscape and history vividly to life. If you enjoy stories where history, atmosphere, and literary craft come together, this episode is for you. To discover more historical novels, podcast conversations, workshops, and events from the History Through Fiction community, visit https://www.historythroughfiction.com .

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  Episode #13

  Saifedean Ammous on The Gold Standard, Bitcoin, and How World War I Changed Money

  Aug 10, 202631 minS11

  In this episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast , Colin Mustful speaks with economist and author Saifedean Ammous about The Gold Standard , a book that blends history, alternate history, and economics into one provocative thought experiment. Together, they explore what might have changed if the world had stayed on the gold standard—and why that question still matters for anyone trying to understand war, inflation, freedom, and modern money. Their conversation moves from the real monetary world of the late nineteenth century into Ammous's imagined turning point of 1914, where faster aviation and entrepreneurial ingenuity create a radically different financial future. Along the way, they discuss World War I, central banking, the Wright brothers, Louis Blériot, the logic behind alternate history, and the connection Ammous draws between gold, Bitcoin, and decentralized control over wealth. Saifedean Ammous is an economist, educator, and author of The Bitcoin Standard , The Fiat Standard , Principles of Economics , and now The Gold Standard , his first work of fiction. A former university professor with a background in engineering and economics, he brings a distinctive perspective to questions of money, history, and human progress. At History Through Fiction , we love conversations that bring the past to life through imagination, research, and bold ideas. Explore more historical storytelling, discover novels and authors, and connect with a wider community of readers and writers at https://www.historythroughfiction.com .

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