The same woman who wrote “Mary Had a Little Lamb” also influenced popular American traditions like having a Christmas tree in your home and women wearing a white wedding gown for their marriage ceremony. She also is considered the godmother of our Thanksgiving because of her relentless petitions to Presidents and lawmakers to create the National holiday, which finally happened under President Lincoln. But do you even know her name?! In this week’s episode, we talk with Melanie Kirkpatrick, author of the book “Lady Editor: Sarah Josepha Hale and the Making of the Modern American Woman.” Melanie shares Hale’s story of being a writer, an activist for education for women, and an editor of “Godey’s Lady’s Book”, the most popular women’s magazine in the early years of our country. This story will fascinate and inspire you as we learn about the life and times of this remarkable woman. 

Melanie Kirkpatrick Show Notes: 

The Hudson Institute: https://www.hudson.org/ 

Lady Editor by Melanie Kirkpatrick: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lady-editor-melanie-kirkpatrick/1137284560?ean=9781641771788 

Thanksgiving by Melanie Kirkpatrick: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thanksgiving-melanie-kirkpatrick/1123362923?ean=9781641772129 

Escape from North Korea by Melanie Kirkpatrick: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/escape-from-north-korea-melanie-kirkpatrick/1110913342?ean=9781594036460 

Books by Sarah Josepha Hale: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Sarah%20Josepha%20Hale%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall 

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-women-and-other-novels-louisa-may-alcott/1025050486?ean=9781435167179 

Godey’s Lady’s Book: https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=godeylady 

Books by Edgar Allan Poe: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/edgar%20allan%20poe 

Books by Nathaniel Hawthorne: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/nathaniel%20hawthorne 

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/uncle-toms-cabin-harriet-beecher-stowe/1116705392?ean=9781593081218 

Everlasting Song by Ha Jin: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-song-everlasting-ha-jin/1137975039?ean=9781524748791 

Join Strong Women on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Erin and her husband, Brett, run Maven which “exists to help the next generation know truth, pursue goodness, and create beauty, all for the cause of Christ.” Check out more about Maven here: https://maventruth.com/  

The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/  

Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly book list: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women