Welcome to the Strong Women Podcast, where each week we explore a deeper understanding of the humanity, value, intellect, and creativity of women.

I'm Erin Kunkel.

And I'm Sarah Stone Street. We're so glad you're here.

Well, welcome back to the Strong Women podcast. Today, we are fortunate to have one of our guests

return. Her name is Melanie Kirkpatrick, and she is the senior fellow at the Hudson Institute

and a former deputy editor of the Wall Street Journal. She's written several books, Escape from North Korea,

The Untold Story of Asia's Underground Railroad,

which is one of Sarah's favorite books.

Melanie is her turn guest because we had her on last year for our Thanksgiving episode

because Sarah and I read her book called Lady Editor,

which is a biography about Sarah

Josepha Hale. And she is this amazing American woman in history that if you missed our first

episode with Melanie, you have to go back. I looked it up. It's episode 81, and it's called

The Woman Who Influenced a Nation. So you'll have to go back to

listen to that episode and to get some of Melanie's background story and how she became a writer and a

journalist. Today, we are talking to her about her wonderful book about our wonderful American holiday of Thanksgiving. Her book is titled

Thanksgiving, The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience. So, Melanie, thank you for

coming back with Sarah and I. We're so happy to have you again. Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be back with you.

I remember our conversation last year very fondly. We certainly went all over the place in it,

talking about lots of things and the importance that Sarah Josiefa Hale had in our history

and my efforts to make her better known.

Yeah, Melanie, I have to tell you this because I was so impressed by Sarah Josepha

...