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© 2025 Jane Healey
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Jane Healey is the bestselling author of several books of historical fiction and the host of Historical Happy Hour, a live interview and podcast featuring premiere historical fiction authors and their latest novels: “One of my favorite things as a writer is to talk to other writers. In each episode, I will interview a historical fiction author with a brand new book coming out. We’ll talk all about their latest novel, but also discuss their writing process and research, and their life beyond being an author.” Healey's new Cold War spy novel, The Women of Arlington Hall, releases July 8th, 2025 and is available now for pre-order.
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In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, bestselling author Jane Healey welcomes back Rhys Bowen to discuss her latest novel, Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure. Set in the South of France on the eve of World War II, the book follows Ellie Endicott as she discovers independence, friendship, and courage after being abandoned by her husband. Bowen shares the inspirations behind the novel—from a crumbling Italian villa to her reflections on “invisible women”—and dives into themes of resilience,...
In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, host Jane Healey chats with bestselling author Juliette Fay about her new novel The Harvey Girls. Together, they uncover the fascinating, little-known history of Fred Harvey’s hospitality empire, the young women who became Harvey Girls, and how this unique role transformed their independence in the 1920s. Fay shares insights into her research, character development, and writing process—while also reflecting on women’s opportunities, the challenges of ...
In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, bestselling author Jane Healey interviews Ellen Marie Wiseman about her powerful new novel, The Lies They Told. Set in 1930s Virginia, the book follows an immigrant mother navigating the harsh realities of Ellis Island, only to uncover the devastating impact of the American eugenics movement on rural families. Wiseman shares her deep research into this overlooked chapter of U.S. history, drawing connections between past and present, while reflecting o...
In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, host Jane Healey chats with bestselling author Eliza Knight about her newest historical fiction novel, Confessions of a Grammar Queen. Set in 1960s New York, the book follows Bernadette Swift, an ambitious copy editor aiming to become the first female CEO of a publishing house—alongside her endearing Great Dane, Frank. Jane and Eliza delve into the inspirations behind Bernadette’s character, including real-life editorial trailblazers, the feminist und...
In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, bestselling author Jane Healey sits down with Susan Wiggs to discuss her moving and deeply researched novel, Wayward Girls. Inspired by the shocking true history of the Good Shepherd Institute in Buffalo, New York, the book sheds light on the hidden network of U.S. Magdalene laundries and the young women whose lives were upended there. Wiggs shares her personal connection to the story, her extensive research—including survivor accounts and archival do...
In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, bestselling author Jane Healey chats with Ella Berman about her riveting new novel LA Women, set in 1960s and 70s Hollywood. The book explores the complex friendship—and eventual betrayal—between two ambitious female writers navigating a male-dominated literary and artistic world. Berman reveals how her own upbringing in LA and London, her research in Laurel Canyon, and a real-life family friend who lived through the era shaped the story’s vivid setti...
In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, bestselling author Serena Burdick joins host Jane Healey to discuss her latest novel, A Promise to Arlette. Inspired by the bohemian life of Burdick’s grandmother—who was a muse to Man Ray and lived with Henry Miller in Big Sur—the novel blends art-world mystique, postwar trauma, and a rich exploration of female friendship and love. Set in both conservative 1950s Massachusetts and pre-WWII France, the story unfolds through a mysterious photograph and ...
In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, bestselling author Jane Healey welcomes fellow novelist Camille Di Maio to discuss her new release, Come Fly With Me—a richly researched and heartfelt novel set in the glamorous world of 1960s Pan Am stewardesses. Di Maio shares the serendipitous origin of the book, penned partly on a liquor store bag in Tahiti, and describes her immersive journey into the world of the World Wings International alumnae. From training regimens and rigid stewardess rule...
In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, host and bestselling author Jane Healey sits down with acclaimed journalist and novelist Jack Ford to discuss his newest historical fiction novel, Beyond This Place of Wrath and Tears. Inspired by the true story of trailblazing WWII correspondent Lee Carson, the conversation dives deep into the remarkable life of a fearless woman who covered major moments of the war—from flying over D-Day beaches to entering Paris before its liberation. Ford shares ho...
In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, bestselling author Jane Healey sits down with novelist Alison Epstein to discuss her bold reimagining of Oliver Twist in her new book Fagan and the Thief. Epstein offers a compelling retelling from the perspective of Jacob Fagan, Dickens’ infamous pickpocket, giving him a first name, a backstory, and—most importantly—humanity. They explore the novel’s reclamation of a deeply antisemitic character, delve into Epstein’s research process for recreating V...
Bestselling author Alka Joshi returns to discuss her newest historical fiction novel, Six Days in Bombay. Inspired by the enigmatic life and mysterious death of Indian painter Amrita Sher-Gil—dubbed the Frida Kahlo of India—Joshi weaves a rich narrative through the eyes of a fictional nurse, Sona, who cares for a dying artist and embarks on a journey across 1930s Europe to fulfill the artist’s final request. With vivid research, immersive sensory detail, and reflections on identity, loss, and...
In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, bestselling author and host Jane Healey sits down with debut novelist Joanna Miller to discuss The Eights, a richly imagined and impeccably researched historical novel about the first women to study alongside men at Oxford University in 1920. Joanna shares how the novel was born during lockdown, how real archives and immersive research shaped the vivid setting and layered characters, and why this untold story of female friendship, ambition, and societ...
New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris joins Jane Healey again to talk about her latest novel. In The Girls of Good Fortune, set in 1888 Portland, Oregon, Celia—a young woman of mixed Chinese and white heritage—awakens in the city's infamous Shanghai Tunnels, realizing she's been abducted and is on the brink of being shipped off as forced labor. Navigating a society rife with anti-Chinese sentiment, Celia's journey unfolds from her time as a maid entangled in a goldminers' massac...
New York Times bestselling author Sarah Penner is Jane Healey's guest to discuss her latest novel. The Amalfi Curse is an enthralling story of secrets, shipwrecks, and sea-witches set along the Amalfi Coast that alternates between 1821 and present day Positano. Set against the dazzling backdrop of the Amalfi Coast, this bewitching novel shimmers with mystery, romance, and the untamed magic of the sea.
New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig is our guest! Join us to discuss her new novel, The Girl from Greenwich Street. The Girl from Greenwich Street is a gripping historical thriller based on a real 1799 murder case that united bitter political rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in an explosive courtroom drama. When young Elma Sands disappears just before Christmas and is later found dead, public outrage targets a local carpenter—forcing Burr and Hamilton into an uneasy allian...
New York Times bestselling author Natasha Lester joins Jane Healey to talk about her latest novel. The Mademoiselle Alliance tells the remarkable true story of Marie-Madeleine Méric, a glamorous Parisian mother who defied convention to become the leader of the largest spy network in Nazi-occupied France. From daring car rallies in Morocco to covert operations across Europe, she risked everything for freedom, resilience, and an unexpected love that bloomed in the shadows of war.
Elize Hooper joins Jane Healey on the podcast again to discuss her latest novel. The Library of Lost Dollhouses is dual-timeline historical fiction about a mysterious collection of dollhouses that reveal the secrets of the women who once owned them. Spanning the course of a century, The Library of Lost Dollhouses is a warm, bright, and captivating story of secrets and love that embraces the importance of illuminating overlooked women.
Emily Critchley joins Jane Healey on Historical Happy Hour to talk about her latest novel. The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a haunting tale of ambition, betrayal, and family secrets set in 1938. When lonely boarding school student Gillian Larking is drawn into the glamorous yet shadowed world of her enigmatic roommate Violet Claybourne and her family estate, Thornleigh Hall, she discovers a sinister reality beneath its grandeur. Entrapped by the sisters’ dark manipulations after a tragic a...
Debut author Jane Yang joins us to talk about her exciting new novel, The Lotus Shoes. This novel is based in China in the 1800s and follows the lives of two young girls. It begins when family tragedy causes Little Flower to be sold into slavery to Linjing’s wealthy family. From childish jealousy they two girls grow into womanhood and have to decide if they’re going to be arch rivals or friends in order to secure a future for them both.
Suzanne Nelson, renown author and foodie joins us to talk about her latest novel, The Librarians of Lisbon. The Librarians of Lisbon is a riveting tale of love, espionage, and friendship set in the glittering yet perilous backdrop of Lisbon during WWII. Best friends Selene and Bea, recruited as Allied spies under the guise of librarians, navigate treacherous webs of deception, danger, and forbidden romance. Inspired by real historical figures, Suzanne Nelson’s meticulously researched novel is...
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