The Women Books & More’s Podcast

Mystery, intrigue, romance and recipes every Wednesday. Join Irene Rawlings to explore hidden Paris. Make pierogi in Poland and single malt in Denver. Meet the Dutch Oven Divas of the Desert. Travel to Denmark in search of the perfect seaside hotel. Expect guests like acclaimed chef Jacque Pepin. Best-selling authors like Lisa See, Isabelle Allende and Mark Greaney. Women, Books & More with Irene Rawlings.

The Women Books & More’s Podcast is a society podcast hosted by Irene Rawlings, with 70 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Irene Rawlings hosts The Women Books & More’s Podcast, a society show with 70 episodes published.

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  Episode #74

  Shari Caudron on The Second Story: Aging, People-Pleasing, and Finding Your Way Back to Yourself

  Sep 30, 202628 min

  What happens when the life you worked hard to build no longer feels like your own? Writer Shari Caudron joins Irene to talk about her memoir The Second Story, aging, and the habits of pleasing and proving ourselves. Shari shares what happened when she turned the questions she’d spent years asking others on herself and why she first wrote the book without plans to publish it. If Shari’s story speaks to you, share this episode with a friend. Explore Shari’s books: The Second Story and Who Are You People? . Learn more at ShariCaudron.com . Shari also mentions the Modern Elder Academy . Get in touch! Tell us what you’re reading or suggest an author you’d like to hear on the show. We’d love to hear from you at womenbooksandmore@gmail.com

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  Episode #73

  A Mansion of Her Own: Nona Footz Reveals the Mysterious Life of Heiress Alice DeLamar

  Sep 23, 202632 min

  Who was Alice DeLamar—and how did one of America’s wealthiest and most independent women remain largely unknown? In this episode of Women, Books & More, Irene Rawlings talks with Nona Footz, co-author with Audrey Clare Farley of A Mansion of Her Own: The Mysterious Life of Heiress Alice DeLamar. Born into extraordinary wealth at the end of the nineteenth century, Alice could have followed the carefully prescribed path expected of a young woman of her position. Instead, she created a fiercely independent life. She built magnificent homes, surrounded herself with artists, actors and writers, and quietly supported some of the twentieth century’s most important cultural figures. Yet Alice guarded her privacy closely. Much of her personal life remained hidden—even from those who knew her. Part biography and part literary detective story, A Mansion of Her Own restores Alice DeLamar to cultural history while honoring the mystery she so carefully cultivated. A Mansion of Her Own: The Mysterious Life of Heiress Alice DeLamar by Nona Footz with Audrey Clare Farley is available wherever books are sold. For more information: nonafootz.com Follow Women, Books & More wherever you listen, and please share this episode with a friend who loves books—and the stories of remarkable women nearly lost to history. Women, Books & More wants to hear from you. Send your comments and reading suggestions to womenbooksandmore@gmail.com .

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  Episode #72

  When Longing Becomes Your Lover: Amanda McCracken on Unavailable Love and Finding Real Intimacy

  Sep 16, 202629 min

  Why do we sometimes become most deeply attached to the people we cannot quite have? In this episode of Women, Books & More, Irene Rawlings talks with journalist and intimacy advocate Amanda McCracken about her candid new book, When Longing Becomes Your Lover: Breaking from Infatuation, Rejection, and Perfectionism to Find Authentic Love. Amanda explores limerence—the intense fixation on an idealized, often emotionally unavailable person—and explains how it differs from an ordinary crush or from falling in love. She also considers why uncertainty can heighten desire, why unfinished relationships can be so difficult to release and how longing may sometimes feel safer than being truly known. Drawing on her own experiences with dating, sex, faith, marriage and motherhood, Amanda speaks openly about dating more than 100 men, remaining a virgin until age 41 and confronting the lasting influence of purity culture. She also discusses the connection between limerence and perfectionism—and how dating apps and undefined “situationships” can keep us pursuing possibility instead of choosing a real, imperfect relationship. Irene and Amanda also explore: Why emotionally unavailable people can seem irresistible The difference between healthy hope and longing that keeps us stuck What happens in the brain when we become fixated on someone Why we may grieve relationships that never truly began How perfectionism can become a form of emotional self-protection The practical steps that can help break the cycle of limerence Why healthy love may initially feel quieter than infatuation What it means to risk vulnerability and choose authentic intimacy Candid, insightful and ultimately hopeful, this conversation reminds us that the greatest obstacle to finding love may not be the absence of possibility—but our attachment to the possibility we have imagined. For more about Amanda: amandajmccracken.com Ted Talk; https://youtu.be/5JqGeP240Tc?si=RjP8TS3uhYUZOB1q We always love hearing from our listeners. Send your comments and reading suggestions to womenbooksandmore@gmail.com .

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  Episode #71

  Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library—and the Story Behind “Scrambled Egg Sandwiches”

  Sep 9, 202613 min

  Dolly Parton has written unforgettable songs, starred in beloved films and built a business empire—but one of her most meaningful accomplishments begins with a simple idea: every child deserves a book. In this episode of Women, Books & More, Irene Rawlings celebrates Dolly’s remarkable life, her joyful generosity and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which has placed millions of free books into the hands of young children. Irene also remembers joining more than 300 members of Sisters on the Fly in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for a celebration that included vintage campers, campfires—and an unforgettable Dolly Parton look-alike contest. Then, inspired by Dolly’s belief in books and the stories that shape us, Irene shares something especially personal: a reading of her original picture-book manuscript, “Scrambled Egg Sandwiches.” Based on her childhood as the daughter of Polish immigrants, it is a story about an unfamiliar lunch, a moment of embarrassment and the discovery that what makes us feel different can also bring us together. Irene’s writing is encouraged by a wonderful community called the 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge. It brings together people who write stories for children. If this episode touches you, please consider supporting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. You can make a donation or help bring the program to children in your own community through a local Imagination Library partner. Because every child deserves a book—and every story deserves the chance to be told. For more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: https://imaginationlibrary.com And a link to the Good Night With Dolly Series https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1462359903936327 For more about 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge: https://12x12challenge.com For more about Sisters on the Fly: https://www.sistersonthefly.com Please connect with Women, Books & More womenbooksandmore@gmail.com

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  Episode #70

  Chris Bohjalian on The Amateur: Guilt, Privilege and a Fatal Golf Shot

  Sep 2, 202630 min

  What if one seemingly random moment changed the entire course of your life? In Chris Bohjalian’s gripping new novel, The Amateur, eighteen-year-old Mira Winston is a gifted golfer with a promising future. Then, on a hot summer day in 1978, a ball she hits tears through a practice net at an affluent Westchester country club and kills a teenage caddy named Kenny Foster. At first, everyone agrees it was a terrible accident. But questions soon emerge—about the net, about Mira and about the secrets concealed behind the club’s polished manners. Before long, Mira is on trial. Chris joins Irene Rawlings to discuss the personal experiences that inspired The Amateur, including his own years as a teenage caddy; why golf provides such a revealing window into class and privilege; and what the older Mira understands about guilt, memory and responsibility that her eighteen-year-old self could not. They also talk about Mira’s troubling relationship with an older, married club member; the adults who fail to protect her; the importance of keeping Kenny and his family at the heart of the story; and how Chris keeps readers questioning what really happened until the final pages. Chris Bohjalian is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of Midwives, The Flight Attendant, The Lioness and many other acclaimed novels chrisbohjalian.com If you enjoy Women, Books & More, please follow the show, share this episode with a book-loving friend and help us spread the word. Questions, comments or suggestions for future guests? Write to us at womenbooksandmore@gmail.com .

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