Elena Meets the Author

Today I’m speaking to the remarkable author and journalist Haley Cohen Gilliland, whose nonfiction book A Flower Traveled in My Blood reads like a novel, but is entirely true.
Haley’s book - which The New York Times and The Washington Post among others named one of the best books of 2025 - tells the story of the Argentine grandmothers who fought to find a stolen generation of grandchildren.
Haley’s account weaves together a family saga, a forensic detective story and a sweeping human rights history. At its heart are the grandmothers who used their perceived status as harmless “little old ladies” to move beneath the radar of Argentina’s military and police, organising quietly but relentlessly in search of the truth.
A bit of background.
During Argentina’s military coup of 1976, the junta launched what it called the National Reorganization Process, a chillingly bland name for a brutal dictatorship. Over the years that followed, thousands of Argentines forcibly disappeared. Human rights groups estimate the number could be as high as 30,000.
Among the regime’s most horrific crimes was the systematic abduction of pregnant mothers. Women were held in clandestine detention centres, gave birth in appalling conditions, and were then murdered. Many were drugged and thrown from planes into the Río de la Plata or the sea to erase evidence. Their babies were taken and placed with families connected to or sympathetic with the regime, often under false identities.
The distraught mothers of these young women began gathering in Buenos Aires’ Plaza de Mayo. From this movement emerged the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, who realised they would have far greater power working together than searching alone.
Haley’s compelling and deeply moving book follows these women over decades, their courage, their strategy, their painstaking documentation, and eventually the scientific breakthroughs that allowed them to identify stolen grandchildren through genetic testing.
We talk about the extraordinary reunions, moments of joy and relief, but also about the pain and identity confusion experienced by many of the grandchildren when they learned the truth. We reflect on how Argentina, as a nation, continues to grapple with this dark chapter in its history.
This is a conversation about memory, justice, science, motherhood, and collective love that proved stronger than fear.
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00:00 Meet Haley Cohen Gilliland and the true story behind A Flower Traveled in My Blood01:05 Argentina’s dictatorship and the Dirty War, disappearances, stolen babies, and state terror02:43 How Haley came to the Abuelas story and why it still feels underknown outside Argentina05:56 The lead-up to the 1976 coup and Argentina’s political instability08:38 Rosa Tarlovsky de Roisinblit’s family story and the beginnings of the Grandmothers’ movement15:58 The science breakthrough, Dr. Mary-Claire King, and the Index of Grandpaternity21:24 The title’s meaning, Juan Gelman’s poem, and mitochondrial DNA25:07 Reporting the book, endnotes, archives, and writing nonfiction with narrative drive27:12 The “what to leave out” decisions that kept the story centred27:36 Finding the right agent and the question of whether American readers would care29:24 Choosing a publisher and building trust with an editor30:03 The behind-the-scenes team: fact checking, outside edits, and accountability31:45 Shifting from magazine writing to a book-length voice33:38 Researching detention centres and survivor testimony, including ESMA36:14 The Grandmothers’ documentation, archives, and paper trail38:15 A high-stakes smuggling story involving chocolate truffles41:03 Haley’s advice for aspiring nonfiction writers44:19 What she hopes readers take away about collective power, truth, and love over fear46:56 What’s next, current reads, future ideas, and closing thanks


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Today, I’m speaking to Brigitte Dale about her debut novel, The Good Daughters. It is a powerful, beautifully written story that takes us back to early 20th-century England, when women from all social classes united to fight for the right to vote.
Brigitte’s suspenseful and fast-paced novel weaves historical fact with gripping fiction, centring on four young suffragettes from vastly different backgrounds who come together in London. In 1912, this was not a safe or symbolic act. These women lived in a treacherous world where they risked being beaten, sexually assaulted, imprisoned, and brutally force-fed in jail. The laws and the justice system were firmly stacked against them.
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In this conversation, we talk about the real dangers of being a suffragette, the cost of speaking up, and how these forgotten histories shaped the story Brigitte wanted to tell.
We also dive into the four central characters. Charlotte is a middle-class girl who discovers that education does not equal freedom. She shocks her parents by fleeing her English boarding school, escaping to London, and joining the suffragette movement. Beatrice is aristocratic, armed with a law degree she is not legally allowed to use, and engaged to a man she feels little connection to. While handing out leaflets and joining protests, she falls into a forbidden and dangerous love with Sadie, a fellow suffragette and American expat.
Then there is Emily, the daughter of the warden at the notorious Holloway Prison. When suffragettes are brought into the jail, Emily is forced to question everything she has been taught. Her father dismisses the women as hysterical and unstable, yet they do not seem crazy at all. They simply want the right to have a voice and decide their own future.
This is a timeless story about politics, friendship, chosen family, love, perseverance, sacrifice, and the courage it takes to speak up when doing so is dangerous.

Timestamps00:00 Elena meets Brigitte Dale00:42 Character deep dive: the four suffragettes03:13 Writing historical fiction and research05:44 The realities faced by women in the movement08:49 Protest, public response, and change17:17 Suffragists vs suffragettes20:32 Placing the story in its historical context29:00 What Bridget is working on next32:48 Final thoughts


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In this episode of Elena Meets the Author, I’m joined by the talented Samantha Greene Woodruff to talk about her gripping historical novel The Trade-Off.
Set against the backdrop of the 1929 Wall Street crash, the novel follows Bea Abramovitz, a mathematically gifted and young jewish woman who foresees the financial collapse but struggles to be taken seriously in a world dominated by men. We explore the inspiration behind the book, the harsh realities of Wall Street in the 1920s, and what it takes to write complex, compelling female characters in historical fiction.
Samantha also shares fascinating insights into her research process, how she balances historical accuracy with narrative tension, and the surprising parallels between the world of the 1920s and the financial and political climate we see today. It’s a thoughtful, timely conversation about power, intuition, and whose voices get heard, then and now.
Highlights
00:00 Introduction
00:15 Introducing Samantha Greene Woodruff
00:35 The story behind The Trade-Off
01:49 Samantha’s writing journey and inspirations
04:17 Researching Wall Street in the 1920s
07:04 Character development and key themes
08:48 Women in finance during the 1920s
22:59 Building suspense in historical fiction
24:27 Writing tension when readers know the outcome
25:04 Financial research and real-world data
27:33 The 1929 market crash
30:15 Choosing the right book title
32:30 The Lobotomist’s Wife and earlier work
34:33 Core themes and takeaways
35:29 The road to publication
39:20 New projects and what’s next
41:54 Final thoughts and surprising discoveries


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In this new episode of Elena Meets the Author, I’m joined by debut American novelist Emily Everett to talk about her novel All That Life Can Afford.
We talk about how Emily’s own experiences shaped the story, and explore themes of social class, ambition, friendship, and belonging. We also discuss the influence of Pride and Prejudice on the novel, and what it was like for Emily to write while balancing a demanding day job.
Emily shares insights into her writing process, reflects on the long road to finishing her debut, and tells me about her next novel, set in western Massachusetts. The episode also includes a reading from the first chapter, offering an early glimpse into the life and aspirations of the novel’s protagonist, Anna Byrne.
00:16 Introducing Emily Everett and Her Novel
00:35 Plot Summary of ‘All That Life Can Afford’
02:52 Interview with Emily Everett Begins
04:37 Autobiographical Elements in the Novel
15:57 Insights into Emily’s Next Book
20:12 Choosing St Tropez Over Zurich
20:45 Love for the British Library
22:28 Living in London: A Magical Experience
26:48 Writing Challenges and Successes
28:36 Audiobook Narration Insights
30:29 Book Recommendations and Inspirations
32:01 Hopes for Readers and Personal Reflections


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In this special holiday episode of Elena Meets the Author, I’m joined by Lisa Scully, the owner of the wonderful Locust Valley Bookstore on Long Island.
Lisa shares her journey into independent bookstore ownership and speaks openly about the challenges and rewards of running a local bookshop today. We talk about competing with Amazon, the importance of community support, and what keeps independent bookstores alive and thriving, especially during the Christmas season.
We also dive into the joy of bookselling. Lisa talks about how she curates her shelves, why book covers matter more than we sometimes admit, and how Instagram has become an essential way for her to connect with readers and share thoughtful, often unexpected recommendations. Along the way, she offers plenty of reading inspiration, including Christmas gift ideas, bestselling titles from the year, standout children’s books, and some personal favourites.
It’s a warm, funny, and uplifting conversation about books, community, and resilience, and a perfect listen for the holidays.
You can explore Locust Valley Bookstore and Lisa’s recommendations at
https://www.locustvalleybooks.com
You can also follow the bookstore on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/locustvalleybookstore
Episode chapters
00:00 Introduction00:15 Special Christmas episode00:32 Lisa Scully and Locust Valley Bookstore03:16 Lisa’s journey to owning a bookstore09:13 The challenges and triumphs of running a bookstore15:06 Competing with Amazon19:48 Instagram and modern bookselling24:13 The importance of book covers26:40 What makes Locust Valley Bookstore unique27:28 Book recommendations28:24 Christmas reading suggestions29:36 Top-selling books of the year36:27 Children’s books highlights37:51 Favourite books of the year39:37 The resilience of independent bookstores
🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.


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