The Ribbon Book Club

The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence part 1: Not 'Merican, Technically Mexican, True Texian

Dear Diary,
This week, we are heading to the southwest to learn about the Alamo! Our guide is Sherry Garland, and her 1998 book, A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence. 
Lucinda and her family of Mama, Papa, and her creatively named brothers live in the small frontier town of Gonzales near the Guadalupe River. Trouble is brewing between the president of Mexico, Santa Anna, and the "Texians" in San Antonio. The Lawrence family is divided in their opinions about war and independence. Tune in to hear about life on the home front in rural 1830s Texas!
Yours truly,  
Cate and Jen
 
RibbonBookClubPod.com
@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram
 
Edited by Danny Heck  
Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 
Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub
Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit
 
 

Historical Note: Paul Lee and the Real Time Titanic

Dear Diary, 
This week, we had the privilege of talking to Paul Lee, who has been studying the history of Titanic for nearly 40 years! Every year, he publishes social media posts in real time, along with the historical events of the fateful voyage of the RMS Titanic.Tune in to hear our discussion on some of the lesser-known stories of Titanic and about remembering the humanity of all those affected by the tragic disaster. 
Yours Truly, 
Cate and Jen
 
RibbonBookClubPod.com
@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram
@RibbonBookClubPod on Bluesky
 
Edited by Danny Heck  
Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 
Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub
Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit
 

The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady part 2: I Will Go Down With This Ship

Dear Diary, 
We're here with part 2 of our recap of A Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, and it's a DOOZY.
Flirting and snobbery abound before the fateful striking of the iceberg. But what becomes of our cast of characters? Will Margaret and Mrs. Carstairs bond over their shared trauma? Will Robert make it to safety? And will we make it through an episode without crying over a 100-year-old disaster? Tune in to find out! 
Yours truly, 
Cate and Jen
 
RibbonBookClubPod.com
@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram
 
Edited by Danny Heck  
Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 
Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub
Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady part 1: Culture Clashes and Class Consciousness

Dear Diary,
We made it to one of our most anticipated books of this series: Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady! It was written by Ellen Emerson White and published in 1998. Boy, were the late 1990s a fantastic time to hyperfocus on the Titanic.
In this story, we meet Margaret, a precocious orphan from Whitechapel. Margaret's life is about to be turned upside down when she gets a job as a companion to the wealthy Mrs. Carstairs. Together, they plan to sail first class to America on the RMS Titanic (what could possibly go wrong???). Margaret is not sure how she feels about her luxurious new surroundings, but she does enjoy the company of a certain cabin steward named Robert. 
Tune in to hear our recap of the first half of this thrilling story! 
Yours truly, 
Cate and Jen 
 
RibbonBookClubPod.com
@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram
 
Edited by Danny Heck  
Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 
Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub
Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Historical Note: Chief Bluejay with the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania

Dear Diary, 
For our historical note, we had the privilege of speaking with Barbara "Bluejay" Michalski, the Chief and Keeper of Culture of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania. Chief Bluejay shared with us some of the stories and projects she works on to carry on the traditions of her people. 
Tune in to hear her thoughts on settler/Indigenous relations in the 1700s and how this history can be explained to young ones. 
Yours Truly, 
Cate and Jen
 
RibbonBookClubPod.com
@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram
 
Edited by Danny Heck  
Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 
Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub
Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Bonus Episode: Julia Carpenter

Dear Diary, 
We made another friend! Julia Carpenter is a journalist, writer, and creator from New York who loves women's history just like us! She has a great Substack called A Woman To Know where she uncovers some great stories about women in history. Also, she's been rereading the Dear America books and talking about them on her TikTok account, @juliaccarpenter. 
Tune in to hear our conversation about growing up with historical fiction, and what it's like to revisit it in adulthood. 
Yours Truly, 
Cate and Jen
 
RibbonBookClubPod.com
@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram
 
Edited by Danny Heck  
Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 
Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub
Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

The Captive Diary of Catherine Carey Logan part 2: Mary Pope Osborne, You've Done it Again!

Dear Diary, 
Wow! What an emotional journey we've been on with this book! Join us as we recap the second half of Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catherine Carey Logan written by Mary Pope Osborne. 
In the story's second half, Caty continues going through the stages of grief and seems to accept her new place in the Lenape tribe. We learn more about her adopted family and the mysterious hunter with the eagle tattoo. Then, just as it seems Caty will find happiness, her world is turned upside down again! It's an important story about individual human feelings and growth. It also takes on some very serious societal issues like how current generations of white kids have to grapple with the sins of our forefathers. 
We hope you enjoy this second half as much as we did! 
Yours Truly, 
Cate and Jen 
 
RibbonBookClubPod.com
@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram
 
Edited by Danny Heck  
Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 
Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub
Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan part 1: Tooken

Dear Diary, 
It's a new book, and we (mostly Jen) were so worried about this one! Mary Pope Osborne takes on a huge challenge with her book, Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan.
Our main character, Catharine (Caty), is a Quaker living with her family on the frontier of Pennsylvania in 1763. Tensions with local Native American tribes are high after a series of broken treaties and border skirmishes. Caty's father urges her to see Indigenous people in a sympathetic light, but this gets tricky when Caty and her brother, Thomas are taken captive by a Lenape tribe. Understandably, Caty has a lot of feelings about being forcefully separated from her family, and we sit on the edge of our seats to see how Mary Pope Osborne will thread this narrative needle. Tune in! 
Yours Truly, 
Cate and Jen
 
RibbonBookClubPod.com
@RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram
 
Edited by Danny Heck  
Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage 
Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub
Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit