In episode 94, The Boston Sisters talk with Lawrence Hill, author of The Book of Negroes, a novel inspired by an 18th-century British military ledger of African Americans who gained freedom serving the British in the Revolution. Hill’s novel was adapted into a miniseries in 2015. Hill discusses the novel's creation, Canada's complex history of slavery, shared African American/African Canadian history, and how book bans affect historical narratives.

In episode 93 of Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters, we get into the real Benjamin Franklin with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff—co-executive producer of the 2024 Apple TV series FRANKLIN (starring Academy Award-winner Michael Douglas) inspired by Schiff’s award-winning book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America. This is the Franklin many American history classes probably left out. 

The Boston Sisters spotlight the HBO miniseries JOHN ADAMS, based on David McCullough's biography of the 2nd U.S. President. Historians Cassandra Good (Founding Friendships) and Sara Georgini (Adams Family Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society) delve into the friendship and correspondence between John and Abigail Adams, highlighting the role of women in the American Revolution and the complexities of “mixed-sex” friendships.

To kick off our annual “From Page to Screen” book picks, The Boston Sisters talk with one of the authors, Carole Boston Weatherford about writing history for children. Carole shares her journey into writing history for young readers, emphasizing the importance of diverse narratives. She describes her research process, including using primary sources and visiting historical sites. This page includes a Bonus Video with The Boston Sisters talking about the 9 “From Page to Screen” book picks.

In episode 90 (part 2) The Boston Sisters talk with Marjorie J. Spruill, historian and author of “Divided We Stand” — a key resource for the creation of the 2020 FX miniseries MRS. AMERICA — about the rise of Phyllis Schlafly, and the two women’s movements that emerged from the 1977 National Women’s Conference in Houston, TX that continue to feed the political discourse and its divisions today. We also get an update on the current status of the ERA.

In episode 89, The Boston Sisters talk with Marjorie J. Spruill, historian and author of “Divided We Stand,” a key resource for the creation of the 2020 FX miniseries MRS. AMERICA about the battle for women’s rights and the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). In part 1 we explore the history of ERA from its suffragist origins, its ties to labor history, and the bipartisan support it received until the unexpected backlash from conservative women led by Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett).

The Boston Sisters have selected BOYCOTT from their historical drama watchlist for a conversation about the film, the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and the nuts and bolts that built a local movement that ended segregation on public transportation in Montgomery and nationwide.

Episode 48 features a conversation about the Martin Scorsese film KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON with Dr. Moira RedCorn and brother Yancey Red Corn, members of the Osage Nation. Yancey Red Corn appears in the Martin Scorsese film as Osage Chief Arthur Bonnicastle and Moira Red Corn was an extra in the film. Yancy and Moira’s father, the late Charles H. Red Corn authored the novel, A Pipe for February, released by the University of Oklahoma Press over 10 years before David Grann’s book Killers of the Flower Moon. Both books were optioned for the film which has received 10 Academy Award™ nominations.