In this episode, Katie is bewitched by three women of the Dutch Resistance: Hannie Schaft and Truus and Freddie Oversteegen.

When the German Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940, local resistance groups and everyday Dutch folks organized ingenious ways to fight back against their occupiers. From distributing illegal newspapers to bombing supply lines to killing Nazis, the Dutch resistance was a powerful example of how even against the biggest forces of evil, everyone can do something to fight back. Hannie Schaft, who once dreamed of using her law degree to fight fascism with the League of Nations, gave up her ambitions to save her two best friends and join the Haarlem resistance. Hannie worked alongside sisters Truus and Freddie Overstegeen, who’d been involved in resistance work since childhood. The young women were able to infiltrate spaces the men could not, and this skill made them invaluable to the resistance. The trio saved countless lives by moving Jewish families to safe houses, collecting intelligence on German missile sites, and luring Nazis to their death with a wink and a smile.

All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!

Staff picks:

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

The Dollhouse by Charis Cotter

The Mystery of the Haunted Dance Hall by Charis Cotter

Recommended Reading:

Fiction:

To Die Beautiful by Buzzy Jackson

The Assault by Harry Mulisch

Non-fiction:

Now Then, Not Now, Not Ever by Truus Menger- Oversteegen

Three Ordinary Girls by Tim Brady

Seducing and Killing Nazis by Sophie Poldermans

The Light of Days by Judy Batalian

Sources:

Three Ordinary Girls by Tim Brady

Seducing and Killing Nazis by Sophie Poldermans

National Hannie Schaft Foundation

Seducing and Killing Nazis

Holland vs. Netherlands: What's the Difference?

The Most Wanted Woman in WWII Netherlands: Hannie Schaft

The Netherlands: the greatest number of Jewish victims in Western Europe

Hitler's rise and fall: Timeline

This Teenager Killed Nazis With Her Sister During WWII

THE RESISTANCE Truus and Freddie Oversteegen

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In this episode, we are bewitched by Dolly Patron (again!)

After leaving the Porter Wagoner Show and striking it big on her own as a solo country artist, Dolly turned to yet another industry: the movies. The commercial and critical success of 9 to 5 (and the award-winning single of the same name Dolly wrote for the film) propelled her to superstardom. Since then, Dolly has been featured in over a dozen films, including classics like The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Steel Magnolias along with some flops (like when she tried to turn Sylvester Stallone into a country star in Rhinestone).

Meanwhile, Dolly continued to produce chart-topping, award-winning albums, revived a theme park with a very problematic past, and became a best-selling author. But despite all her commercial success, Dolly's true legacy is her philanthropy, including providing 2 million free books every month to children around the world with her Imagination Library, rebuilding her hometown following devastating wildfires, and funding research that led to the creation of the COVID vaccine. All hail Dolly, Patron Saint of Appalachia!

All books shared in this episode are available in our bookshop!

Staff picks:
All the Dead Lie Down and We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley
Butterfly in the Sky (Netflix)
LeVar Burton Reads (Stitcher)

Recommended Reading:
Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton with Robert K. Oermann
Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton with Holly George-Warren, curated by Rebecca Seaver
Billy the Kid Makes it Big by Dolly Parton, MacKenzie Haley, and Erica S. Perl
I Am Dolly Patron by Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos
Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
Good Lookin' Cookin' by Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George

Sources:
Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton with Robert K. Oermann
Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton with Holly George-Warren, curated by Rebecca Seaver

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In this episode, we are bewitched by Dolly Parton.

Dolly Parton came from very humble beginnings but turned herself into a star. In this first part of a two-part series, we cover Dolly's childhood, spent in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Though Dolly's family lived in poverty, they never lacked love, and her early life remains a source of inspiration for her music. After teaching herself how to play guitar and compose music, Dolly earned a spot singing on a local radio show and was featured on the Grand Ole Opry.

After becoming the first person in her family to finish high school, Dolly moved to Nashville to launch her career. While Dolly found work as a songwriter, she struggled to make a name for herself as a recording artist. That all changed when she was offered a job on the biggest country music stage of all: The Porter Wagoner Show.

All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!

Staff picks:
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien
Uncultured: A Memoir by Danielle Mestyanek Young

Sources:
Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton with Robert K. Oermann
Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton with Holly George-Warren, curated by Rebecca Seaver
Dolly's Parton's America [podcast] from WNYC Studios, Jad Abumrad, and Shima Oliaee

Support the show