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Dawn OHara, The Girl Who Laughed

Dawn OHara, The Girl Who Laughed

Written by: Edna Ferber
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 In Edna Ferbers debut novel, Dawn O’Hara, the Girl Who Laughed, we meet Dawn, a weary newspaperwoman from New York who finds herself back in her Michigan hometown on the advice of her doctor. After years of living in boarding houses and supporting her brilliant yet mentally ill husband, Peter Orme, Dawn feels like a shadow of her former self at just twenty-eight. With the loving support of her sister Norah and the charming attentions of the handsome German doctor, Ernst Von Gerhard, she begins to reclaim her zest for life. Securing a newspaper job in Milwaukee opens the door to new adventures and friendships. Yet, the haunting presence of her husband in a mental hospital looms large, leaving Dawn to question whether she will ever be free to love again. (Summary by Lee Ann Howlett)Copyright Culture and Heritage classics
Episodes
  • 021 - Happiness

    021 - Happiness
    Feb 17 2026
    In Edna Ferbers debut novel, Dawn O’Hara, the Girl Who Laughed, we meet Dawn, a weary newspaperwoman from New York who finds herself back in her Michigan hometown on the advice of her doctor. After years of living in boarding houses and supporting her brilliant yet mentally ill husband, Peter Orme, Dawn feels like a shadow of her former self at just twenty-eight. With the loving support of her sister Norah and the charming attentions of the handsome German doctor, Ernst Von Gerhard, she begins to reclaim her zest for life. Securing a newspaper job in Milwaukee opens the door to new adventures and friendships. Yet, the haunting presence of her husband in a mental hospital looms large, leaving Dawn to question whether she will ever be free to love again. (Summary by Lee Ann Howlett)
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    8 mins
  • 020 - Blackie's Vacation Comes

    020 - Blackie's Vacation Comes
    Feb 17 2026
    In Edna Ferbers debut novel, Dawn O’Hara, the Girl Who Laughed, we meet Dawn, a weary newspaperwoman from New York who finds herself back in her Michigan hometown on the advice of her doctor. After years of living in boarding houses and supporting her brilliant yet mentally ill husband, Peter Orme, Dawn feels like a shadow of her former self at just twenty-eight. With the loving support of her sister Norah and the charming attentions of the handsome German doctor, Ernst Von Gerhard, she begins to reclaim her zest for life. Securing a newspaper job in Milwaukee opens the door to new adventures and friendships. Yet, the haunting presence of her husband in a mental hospital looms large, leaving Dawn to question whether she will ever be free to love again. (Summary by Lee Ann Howlett)
    Show More Show Less
    9 mins
  • 019 - A Turn Of The Wheel

    019 - A Turn Of The Wheel
    Feb 17 2026
    In Edna Ferbers debut novel, Dawn O’Hara, the Girl Who Laughed, we meet Dawn, a weary newspaperwoman from New York who finds herself back in her Michigan hometown on the advice of her doctor. After years of living in boarding houses and supporting her brilliant yet mentally ill husband, Peter Orme, Dawn feels like a shadow of her former self at just twenty-eight. With the loving support of her sister Norah and the charming attentions of the handsome German doctor, Ernst Von Gerhard, she begins to reclaim her zest for life. Securing a newspaper job in Milwaukee opens the door to new adventures and friendships. Yet, the haunting presence of her husband in a mental hospital looms large, leaving Dawn to question whether she will ever be free to love again. (Summary by Lee Ann Howlett)
    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
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