← The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
1KHO 624: Build a Mind Gallery for Yourself and Your Children | Leah Boden, Brave Princess Aina
00:58:39
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- [00:01]
Leah Bowen
This episode is brought to you by Peloton Break through the busiest time of year with the brand new Peloton Cross Training Tread plus, powered by Peloton iq. With real time guidance and endless ways to move, you can personalize your workouts and train with confidence, helping you reach your goals in less time. Let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push and go. Explore the new peloton cross training Tread plus@onepelaton.com Welcome to the 1000 Hours Outside podcast.
- [00:28]
Ginny Yurch
My name is Ginny Yurch. I'm the founder of 1000 Hours Outside and I'm so excited. I'm always excited when Leah Bowen turns on. Always. This is your third time. Welcome back.
- [00:38]
Leah Bowen
I feel like I need some. Well, do you have a hall of fame yet? Is that happening over your.
- [00:43]
Ginny Yurch
Yes, you're on it. I should make one. I'll put it on like five times. There we go. Oh, I would love if it were five times. Every time we talk, I feel encouraged. Oh, one of the things I think you encourage about is mothering. So in general, you know, talking about enjoying motherhood, but you also always encourage me to be a little more hands on, a little more dialed in to the parts of us that make us feel human. The music and the art and the reading and this, you know, the conversations and sitting around at night telling stories and that type of thing. And one of the things that you've done that's so incredible is you've homeschooled your kids and now sort of near the tail end of this journey, you are joining in on creating the type of living books that Charlotte Mason talked about. I remember, I read. I read three of them. You have one that's out about C.S. lewis, and you have one that's out about Charlotte Mason and one that just came out about Princess Ina. It's called Brave Princess, the Courageous Heart of Sarah Forbes Bonetta. And I remember the first time I read. I think I told you this. I read the CS Lewis one. Yes, I read it. You know, I'm taking notes. I was like, this is so interesting. Just the other day I talked about how he didn't like the typewriter because it made too much noise. I was talking to a current author who's like, I never write anything down on paper and. But when you do, he's like, it's just a different type of writing. Then we were talking about C.S. lewis, and I was like, oh, I know these things. But when I got to the end of it, Leah, that's when I was like, this would be a really good book, I guess, to read with my kids. Like, I liked it so much and I didn't, I don't ever, you know, all the books that come, if they come from a publisher, they come with a little sheet about them and I never read them because I'm like, I don't read the book and ask my own questions or whatever. So I didn't at the beginning know that this is like, this is meant to add to your homeschool library. This is meant to add to your, you know, your school age, your, your kids, like, library of their youth. And I was like, oh, wow, you.
- [02:49]
Leah Bowen
Know, well, you know, I mean, that's a pretty common response. I've had so many parents message me going, I had to. I read it first. I'm slowly handing them over to my children. But just so you know, and I, you know, I did not dumb down the language. I, it is a living book. I wrote the kind of books that I wanted my children to read and I did read to my children. And so for, you know, your regular 10 year old who's maybe been in school for years and years, some of those are kind of, hey, I'm the, you know, the language, the vocabulary is pretty up there. I'm like, well, yeah, but that's, I have a high expectation of children. I mean, they're brilliant and they are very capable of reading wonderful books. So. Yeah, but I'm glad you, you got in there first.
- [03:35]
Ginny Yurch
Yes, yes. And I was like, I've got a really good idea for Leah. She could market these for kids. I was like, wait, I'm so dumb. That's actually what they are for. But to the point that if a book is a good book, you're going to enjoy it as an adult just as much as a kid is going to enjoy it. And that's part of what's happening with, with some of the great literature. I love this part that you are a reinventer, like, or I don't even know if that's the right word. I talked to this man named Dr. Arthur Brooks, and he was talking about how our lives have these stages and at the beginning, you know, up until maybe your 30s, late 30s, early 40s, you have this fluid intelligence and then it kind of changes into this crystallized intelligence and you have to be able to shift with that. And he talks about how a lot of people have a really hard time with those shifts and, you know, their brain is changing. And if you step into that wisdom part where now you're passing on sort of your Cumulative knowledge. He says, you'll do really well. And he said, the people who are the best at it are mothers.
- [04:34]
Leah Bowen
Yeah, I totally see that. I mean, and Julie Bogart's always talking about this. I'll say. She'll say, leah, Tom, remind me how old you are. She's like, you are just growing and thriving right now. She's like, really lean into it. Like, I remember when I was in my late 40s, she was like, 40s is incredible. You're just like, you could take on the world. And I think I, you know, I just turned 50 this year.
- [04:56]
Ginny Yurch
Year.
- [04:57]
Leah Bowen
And it was a little bit of a weird transition. It just felt bigger than any other decade. But at the same time, just, you know, I've been raised by a mother, by a woman who is not afraid of age at all. She's in her. She's nearly 80 and is thriving. Her mind is young. She's such an inspiration. So I'm not afraid of it. But at the same time, it did feel like this. I am absolutely, very much in the second half of life, and there's probably a lot less ahead than there has been before me. And so how am I going to step into this season? What am I going to embrace? What am I going to leave behind? And, yeah, I've been. I'm not a hugely kind of reflective person. I'm a forward thinker. I'm a futuristic, if you're a. If you know, the strengths finder. But it has been very much just pause, be grateful for what has happened, you know, what has gone before now. What am I going to pick up and run with? What do I know is true? What I know is me. And let's go with that. And that. I've been doing a lot of that, Ginny, and that's.
- [06:00]
Ad Read / Sponsor Voice
It's.
- [06:01]
Leah Bowen
It feels great. I. Yeah, really refreshing, actually.
- [06:05]
Ginny Yurch
It's kind of a message of hope, I think. To the moms who are in the slog. Yeah, the moms who have the 8, 6, 4 and 2. And they're, you know, they're kicking off on their home education journey. And that's a long journey. They've got, you know, 16 years ahead of them. And you wrote Modern Ms. Mason a bit ago, but these are different. I remember I wasn't. I. I was like, out of the loop. I didn't. I didn't know what to expect. And so I picked these up. I was expecting them to be more of, like an educational for the mom. Like, you know, here's how you homeschool or. And and it wasn't that I was like, these are these living books that you would incorporate into your canon of literature in your home. And so that came sort of toward the end of your homeschool journey with your own kids. And I would love if you would just talk to moms who are in the middle of that hard season where they think I've kind of lost everything. And I have all these dreams and passions, and for a while I have to set them aside. But there's really a lot to look forward to.
- [07:08]
Leah Bowen
Yeah. And it's not just looking forward. It's living in it. And I'm a firm believer in. And I used to do this every summer, actually, Ginny, when I was planning for the year ahead, I would take a few days out and I would just brainstorm and put stuff down on paper. I would also take a moment to consider who I was in that season, and I'd get a big piece of paper out, and I'd write things down like, who do I know that I am as a Christian? It would be reds that I have taken with me. And. Absolutely. When you're in the trenches of motherhood and you've got the babies and the toddlers and you're breastfeeding one and the other ones that the, you know, running around your ankles, you forget sometime times. And we. We can't prioritize the same things as we. Maybe we did in our 20s, but it doesn't mean they're gone. And I believe that we carry these threads of our identity with us. So the passions we had when we were young, the things that we loved, the natural skills and giftings that we have, and they may sometimes be a little bit hidden like a seed underground, but at the right time, they're the ones that will come back up. And I think that's what I'm seeing is that. What is it that's coming back up now? I mean, my. My children are older teenagers and adults. They're in a completely different stage. And I am saying, what is growing now? What is. What is coming up that has been maybe laid dormant for a season, but hasn't died? And that's what's interesting to me. And some of the stuff, Ginny, is stuff that I knew, you know, the things that my parents put in me, some of the beauty and art and culture that. That was the reason why Charlotte Mason resonated with me so much, took up that mantle, ran with it for a couple of decades, and now want to go even further. And I think that if you are Listening and you're in the toddlers around your uncles trying to do a math lesson, you know, babies having a nap and you try to fit things in. Then I would encourage people to try and cultivate those little tiny things in those moments. I'm always saying to mums, leave a poetry book out kitchen, put one in the bathroom if you need to, you know, have some classical music playing in the kitchen. You don't have to be deeply immersed in this stuff, but you can have it in the atmosphere of your home and still be doing the diapers and the dishes and the, you know, whatever else. And that's the stuff that's kept me, held me steady and kept me moving through. Yeah, but you know, it's, it's a beautiful privilege season and I know it's hard and you're exhausted, but you learn and grow so much if you just do the journey with them.
- [09:55]
Ginny Yurch
Yeah. And you don't give up.
- [09:57]
Leah Bowen
Absolutely.
- [09:58]
Ginny Yurch
I love the question of who am I in this season, what's going on in this, in this particular season. And what I get out of your journey and out of even this latest book in particular, Brave Princess Aina, is that you may have these threads, maybe your own threads go all the way back to your own childhood. Things that you became, you know, that you fell in love with as a child, maybe your parents a part to do with it. But ultimately it's this journey with the children, that kind, you know, if we're talking about the seed metaphor, I don't even know if it's called the metaphor. You will know. But the seed analogy. Metaphor, I don't know. Okay. It's one of those, we'll roll with.
- [10:37]
Leah Bowen
It, it's all good.
- [10:38]
Ginny Yurch
So if we're comparing it to that, it's like almost like this is the fertilizer.
- [10:42]
Leah Bowen
Yeah.
- [10:42]
Ginny Yurch
It adds on to it. Because when you talk about this new book, Brave Princess Aina, you found out about her story through reading with your daughter.
- [10:50]
Leah Bowen
I did. That's right. Yeah. And I, you know, so many home educating mothers say they may have got bachelor's degrees and master's degrees, whatever they were doing before children came, but many of us say really our education, our education started when we began that home educating journey with our children. And I was the same. That's my story. I loved studying, I loved to learn. But the kind of way that the immersive slowed down, doing a journey with your children, it's like being in this constant book club. It was fantastic. And I came alive in that because I just decided to Jump right in. And not. I guess my approach to education and childhood was influenced so strongly by Charlotte Mason's work. And, you know, people can read all about that in monabeth Mason, but because of her approach, it was very freeing. It was very liberating. It wasn't the case of, I am teaching you a curriculum from this book or this box. It was, I am opening a door to. To knowledge, and let's jump in there together. Let's all walk through together. And some days that was. It was deep in science, it was nature, it was literature. It could have been, you know, math. It was anything but the way. That whole. The purpose of no understanding, that purpose of we are walking through this open door together. And you might get things quicker than your kids, they might get things quicker than you, but it becomes a privilege and not a chore. And. And, you know, watching them grow and learn and thrive was an absolute privilege. And then just being observant, what do they. What do they need in this season? What do I need to add to. To what they already have? I'm just, you know, being very, very awake to their lives and to their learning. Yeah.
- [12:49]
Ginny Yurch
And it just enhances your own threads as well, the things that you carry from your earlier life experiences. It's really a remarkable thing. It's counterintuitive. It's not what you would expect, but it is what happens. And all the mothers who, you know, have set out to do it, I think, echo something similar. I grew in this process. I grew. So you set out to add to the literature that's out there, to add to the living books. And you decide on biographies, and you're very artsy. Like, you know, you love the arts. That's a stupid word. I wish I wouldn't have said that. I might delete it. Okay. Like, you know, you love. You love the arts, you love the poetry.
- [13:23]
Leah Bowen
I do, yeah.
- [13:24]
Ginny Yurch
You love the reading. And so you decided on biographies. And yet there's how, you know, I mean, billions of options for biographies.
- [13:32]
Leah Bowen
So many.
- [13:32]
Ginny Yurch
Walk us through. Walk us through choosing biography and then also choosing the three people that you've started with.
- [13:40]
Leah Bowen
So the inspiration for biography really stems from learning. One of the greatest way to learn about time in history, about character, about leadership, is through other people. You know, a huge pattern we see through history is this mentoring and passing down from one person to another. And I think we don't do that enough anymore. You know, that's a biblical principle, as Christians don't understand that. It's also, even in the corporate world, you'll have mentors, you'll have people teaching one to another. Learning from somebody has gone before. And I think we, we're a little bit more of a, like, do it yourself and learn for yourself. And I think, you know, biography is a brilliant way to learn from other people. It's a great way to learn from their mistakes, from their, from their challenges and from their victories. So we learn about character. We also learn from a historical point of view. When you, Charlotte Mason said, if you learn about a person, you learn about a place, you learn about their, you know, the geography, the, everything that came along with it. And so I, as a home educating family, we read a lot of biographies. And my favorites were, I think I mentioned this last time were the 1930s, 1940s, little, little vintage looking books. And they were written in a narrative way. They were kind of story driven and not just factual. And we devoured them. I would find them from secondhand shops and online and all this kind of stuff. I would just have, you know, find all these little collections of books. And so we, when I wasn't reading them aloud, I would assign them to my children. They would always have a biography on the go. And I found that in our conversations, in our connections, in our oh, this reminds me moments, it would be a person. This reminds me of when so and so did this or when so and so went there or when they did this. And I feel like this person right now. And I would, I would do those things and my kids would too. And so that's, that was the kind of real root of that was in me, in our family and the children that when I thought about how could I contribute to the feast of education. Where do I start? This was the place.
- [16:05]
Ginny Yurch
Hello to the sweet puppy.
- [16:09]
Leah Bowen
He was asleep. Sorry. Trying to make it an easy cut for you.
- [16:16]
Ginny Yurch
Let's tell it back. Oh, so, but you know, did we talk about this last time that there's this 40 question quiz of, you know, how to raise a. I can't remember what. It's like a, it's like a rich thing, but it's more about being successful. It's called, it's like a habits of successful people. And it's this quiz thing and there's 40 questions on. It's like 40 questions on what do successful people, what kind of habits do they try and instill in their kids? And you think it would be like high grades and high test scores and do they take AP and are they doing dual enrollment? And none of the 40 questions are about anything to do with education like that, the K12 education system, they're all about habits between people. Like, do you wish people a happy birthday? You know, I mean, of 40 things, like one of them is that. And you know, do you limit screen time? Do you limit junk food? Do you make sure your kids get enough sleep? Or do you, you know, do you help them to be grateful? And One of the 40 things is, do you require biography reading?
- [17:16]
Leah Bowen
Wow, I love that. I need to find that. That's amazing. It's so, it's. I know, for me, I mean, I remember reading Biography when I was a teenager and an older child and nobody assigned it to me. I just was interested in people's lives. I loved missionary stories and people who were, yeah, just doing wild and wonderful things that I never imagined myself doing. And I was attracted to that. And I, and that's another thing, isn't it? Is that reading about somebody else's life that you might not think, well, I, I have to repeat that or be like them. But the character aspects, the kind of how they dealt with hardship, how they dealt, I mean all the books of the three books that I've written, you know, they do cover displacement and death and they've got some really hard hitting things in there, but they're also very hopeful and we see the joy in their lives too. And I think, you know, we don't want to hide away from the realities of things like that. And that's what biography can do. It can introduce to a child. Hey, this is, you know, and I, and I was gentle with some of the information that I shared in these books, but especially Ina's story, really had to be gentle with her story. But it's real and these are people's lives and there are many children who face things that are difficult and, but there is hope and you know, in the writing of these. That's what I wanted to bring through as well is that, you know, that they all came out the other end, they all found hope, they all had the right kind of friends or whatever it is or the moments or the right situations where things changed for them. And even though they walked through these things, you know, great things happened as well. And so, yeah, I mean I think biography is, is wonderful and I try, I try read them still keep them going in, in some way, shape or form. I just think it makes for interesting conversation and interesting people.
- [19:18]
Ginny Yurch
Yeah, and those stories, they stick with you better. I really have a good sense of C.S. lewis from Reading your book and you know, then that comes up here and there, or I think about the friendships that he had or the writing circles that he was in and how that helped form him, or that all these kids were coming through because of the war. And so he was practicing his storytelling with all these children. And you just have such a better sense of that person through reading the biography. You have a picture, you have a picture in your mind's eye of their life. And I love, I love that this is the way that you went with it, with the biographies. When I think back on my own childhood, I remember the freedom of the neighborhood, hours spent riding bikes with friends until the street lights came on. That's what childhood should feel like. Movement, laughter and connection. And that's exactly what our friends at Woombikes are helping families rediscover. Womb makes the lightest, smartest and safest bikes on the market. Perfectly designed for kids, not just shrunken down adult bikes. Every detail matters. The balance. The brakes, the handlebars, the way the frame fits their growing bodies. You don't just learn to ride with boom. You learn to love the ride. In our own family, we've seen that magic firsthand. Our daughter received a Womb Explore six in that stunning magnetic blue. And from the moment we opened the box, we could feel the difference. The packaging was intuitive, the setup was simple, and within a short period of time, she was riding down the driveway with the biggest smile on her face. When kids have a Womb bike, they want to be outside. And that's the heartbeat of what we do. Helping families reclaim time, connection and joy through real world play. So this holiday season, don't just give a gift. Give them adventure, give them confidence, give them outside. Check out all the holiday deals now at womb.com that's W-O-O-M.com as the air turns crisp and the holidays draw near, comfort becomes the best gift of all. And for me, Quince delivers comfort that lasts. They have it all. $50 Mongolian cashmere sweaters made for everyday wear. Denim that never goes out of style. Silk tops and skirts that add polish and down. Outerwear built to take on the season. Perfect for gifting or, let's be honest, upgrading your own wardrobe before those holiday photos. Honestly, Quince's Italian wool coats are at the top of my list because the cut feels designer. The quality rivals high end brands. But the price is about half because Quince works directly with ethical top tier factories and skips the middlemen. So get luxury quality without the luxury markup. For me, this season, my go to has been my Quince cashmere because it is soft, classic and somehow it goes with everything. Oh, and my all black quince puffer jacket is always at the ready for those chilly mornings. So step into the holidays with layers made to feel good, look polished and last from Quince. Perfect for gifting or keeping for yourself. Go to quince.com outside for free shipping and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com outside free shipping 365 day returns. Quince.com outside you guys, the holidays are almost here and you know what that means. People to feed, guests to host and a whole lot of cozy moments ahead. I've been getting our home ready with Wayfair and it's amazing how just a few updates make everything feel warm and welcoming again. I grabbed a beautiful new dining bench so everyone has a seat at the table, swapped in flannel sheets for the guest room and found the cutest Christmas wreath from Wayfair's Black Friday sale. Everything shipped fast, the prices were unreal and it made me actually excited to host. This year. Wayfair really is the place to shop for all things home, from sofas to spatulas, rugs to refrigerators. And during their Black Friday event, you can save up to 70% off. Plus they have styles you won't see anywhere else so your space actually feels like you. And if you haven't heard, Wayfair now has a loyalty program where you earn 5% back, get free shipping and have access to member only sales. It's totally worth joining, so don't wait. These early deals are already happening. Head to Wayfair.com now to shop Wayfair's Black Friday deals for up to 70 off. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I R.com sale ends December 7th. How do you pick three?
- [23:20]
Leah Bowen
It was really hard. Well, I mean I initially pitched, I talked to my agent about it just seemed, you know, oh, let's write Charlotte Mason's story for for children. And she said, hey, why don't you come up with 10 titles. I was like, okay, I was there with one. So we just tried to keep them wide. I thought, well you know, everyone, lots of people love C S Lewis. He's known for the Chronicles of Narnia. And that was just a great one to draw people in. And then, I mean if my list was, it still is very long. So many. I'd love to.
- [23:57]
Ginny Yurch
There's more. There's more.
- [23:58]
Leah Bowen
Well, I Mean, I would love that. I don't know that yet, but, you know, in one, in whatever way, shape or form, I'd love to continue to bring a biography to children's lives. But Ina's story was special because I think I say in the introduction, Sienna, my youngest, and I were reading a biography that I found, really old biography that I found on her online. And I was like, huh, this is a really interest. So I'd never heard about the Queen Victoria had this like, somebody as a award, really somebody she cared for. I didn't know that part of history. So we. We were reading it and I found myself in tears. I mean, often in tears. I'm reading to my children, but I found myself in tears, just so moved by, like, what is it about this story? What is it that's drawing me in and moving me forward? And so I talked to a few people about her, and they just. Nobody knew who she was, like. So I started to research. I found a, you know, a TV program where they were sort of mentioning her, and there were little bits of British history where she'd come up, but really pretty unknown. And so I was like, I want to introduce Ina to. To families. And. And already, I mean, I heard somebody this week saying they were. As part of their history cycle, they were doing, like, Victorian England. And so I think they were reading all three. Well, no, no Charlotte story, and definitely in this. So I love that, that they're bringing them in and just seeing. Seeing that. But yeah, and I was. I mean, you know, the writing process is. Because she's so deep in their story. And with Charlotte's story, I knew so much about her. I'd been reading her work for 20 years, and I. It was so dense and intense. Kind of like, what do I actually. What do I share with. With Jack's work? C.S. lewis? I'd be reading his. His books for about 18 months. I'd been reading, trying to read as many as possible just to sort of soak in his life. And then I read a biography, and people have different opinions on his biography, the biographies about him, but. And he wrote his own autobiography, so that was cool. Again, like, what. But then it felt there was a more natural kind of progression in sharing his life and what elements. And then Ina's story, we have, have. We have even less information than anything else. Like, there's just not a lot out there on her life. So the narrative aspect, the kind of fictionalized aspect was an interesting one of how do I write this story and yet honor her life? Honor her story. And so I had, I had people help me as well with just. Yeah, getting that right. And had different people reading it as I was sort of wrapping it up, but with all three of them because I, I was very moved whilst writing it and I was, you know, I'd get to the last chapter, no spoilers, but you know, they are biographies, so. And you know that you know what's gonna happen. And I'd be in tears. Right. Trying to communicate that last day or that last moment, who was with them, what was going on, what was the backdrop, what, how you know, but yet not trying to be too scary for a 10 year old, 11 year old. But, but yet capture the, often the beautiness, beauty and holiness at that moment. Yeah. And then what. What lingers? Who lingers? So Ina's story, if you remember that the last chapter, I actually bring it into the present and I created this 21st century school kid who was learning about her. And because I wanted to bring it out, I was like, I need to bring this up and out and. Yeah, I mean just, they're just a completely different kind of book to write. But I loved it. It was an adventure. Yeah.
- [27:55]
Ginny Yurch
And interesting to have these two characters, you know, that were real people, C.S. lewis and Charlotte Mason, who, like you said, a lot of people have a lot of exposure to.
- [28:05]
Leah Bowen
Yes.
- [28:05]
Ginny Yurch
And then for the third one, to have this princess, now she's really little. And, and all three, all three of them had very traumatic things that happened, you know, during their younger years. Childhood or early, you know, early adulthood. And a lot of change, a lot of upheaval. And her starts really young. It starts at age 5. And then, you know, you go through the book and each chapter tells her age. So it's like, you know, she's seven years old, she's eight years old. She's years old. She's 23 years old. You know, it's all these, you know, really young ages where she's going through a lot of hardships, a lot of adjustments. You wrote she faced many losses. Her homeland, her family, and even her health. Yet she stayed strong and hopeful. And so I, I did end up, I read a little bit more because I was interested. This was a pretty horrific situation where she's a princess and she loses her whole family by this other king that, that's from a different kingdom. He comes in and. And she loses her family and her tribe and she's taken as prisoner and then is given. I mean, she almost loses her life and. Yeah, given as a gift.
- [29:20]
Leah Bowen
Yeah.
- [29:21]
Ginny Yurch
Is it almost to pacify, you know, they're trying to end slavery. And this king, king of king.
- [29:31]
Leah Bowen
Yeah.
- [29:31]
Ginny Yurch
He's like, well, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to end slavery. But I'll give you this girl as a gift for Queen Victoria.
- [29:38]
Allie Jackson
Yeah.
- [29:39]
Ginny Yurch
And her life is spared. And then she ends up on this journey where she lives many different places with many different people. And you just, if you have, you know, your own children, you're like, gosh, a seven year old.
- [29:53]
Leah Bowen
I know.
- [29:53]
Ginny Yurch
You know, a, a six year old going to live with this family and that family. And you almost can't hardly even wrap your mind around. I mean, she's living on different, completely different countries.
- [30:05]
Leah Bowen
Yeah. I mean, I was trying and trying to imagine, I mean, anybody from West Africa in all the trauma that she started life with, to suddenly this, you know, Victorian England in this captain's house, cold England. And I was trying to describe, like how her body felt in the clothes and her feet felt on the cold floor of an English house and look like trying to get my head in that moment of her first standing in the home of the Forbes family and what that must have been like. And her also realizing, these kids look completely different to me and these, Everything is different. I mean, I, you know, I've gone through shifts and changes in my life, you know, moved and uprooted and done things, but nothing like that. I mean, I can't, you know, so I was trying to seep myself in for a moment. What must that have been like for that little girl? And from what we know through, from the books and the people who are. That there are letters and wonderful kind of things that have been captured through history, fortunately for us to be able to retell her story. But she was shown great kindness. And what I picked up in the story and I loved and I hopefully communicated is that there was these very significant women in her life. Again, this idea of mentoring almost this living biography, this living kind of. Yeah. This process of, of passing down from one to another. There was, you know, Captain Forbes wife, and then there was the Queen, obviously. And then there was Ms. Sass. Oh, yeah, yeah, Ms. Sass. Oh, I like her. And you know, she had these really significant relationships with females who were. It was so important to have that mothering. And there were men, strong men in her life as well. But there was this, this picture of that. And I mean, I won't say too much about the end, but people can read her story, but that was important. But even, I mean, you Know, you read the chapter of the wedding day when she gets married and that, that whole thing just didn't feel. I remember reading about that thinking, ah, she had to wear a white dress. That is so, that would have been so foreign to her culture. But you know, again, she did. It was a gift from the queen. So just trying to pull myself into that. I learned a lot about the Yoruba culture and just, I mean I work with people who are Yoruba here in Coventry, in my, in my city. And so I got to talk to them about that. Like, tell me what are the colors? What would that be like, what does that feel like? And so it was brilliant to be able to glean from, you know, people who are part of the Yoruba tribe and just tell me this is, this is how it would have been. Like, this is what the wedding should have been like. So just an interesting, I love research.
- [33:01]
Ad Read / Sponsor Voice
And.
- [33:03]
Leah Bowen
I get, you know, I can find myself getting so deep down into that it's so different from researching a non fiction book or you know, whatever. And then you have to translate that research to the 10 year old mind and life. Yeah.
- [33:18]
Ginny Yurch
Like, yeah. And what are you gonna include and what are you not going to include?
- [33:21]
Leah Bowen
Right.
- [33:22]
Ginny Yurch
It is an interesting thing to, to try and accomplish and you've done just such a remarkable job with it. I mean, like, I'm like, I don't think I could do that. You know, first of all it's, it's taking in all of the information, trying to make sure it's as accurate as possible and then distilling that down into a story, you know, story driven biography that is good for a family to read. And you, you take so much with you from these books. You talk a lot in there about the nature. So I actually, that part really stuck out to me about the, the cold floors because you really keyed in on her senses, you know, talking about her natural environment like the nature that was around her, which I think helps you really to understand the environment. And you know, no one's on screens at this point. This is in the 1800s, right. Or outside quite a bit. And so you're comparing, you know, when she's really little that she's the warmth and the wonder of walking barefoot on hot soil in the summer and the taste of fresh mango dripping down her chin and she's living in buildings that are made of wood and earth and that thatched roofs and you know, and the rain comes and it's lush and it's untamed and then she's comparing that to going to a castle, Right? It's very meticulous.
- [34:37]
Leah Bowen
Right? Yeah.
- [34:39]
Ginny Yurch
Then. And then she's moved. She moved several more times. She ends up in Sierra Leone and then, you know, and then she's back in England. She goes to visit London. So she has all of these different experiences.
- [34:50]
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- [36:14]
Ginny Yurch
Of it made me think about today's childhood where kids are not having this breadth of sensory experiences.
- [36:24]
Leah Bowen
Right. Yeah. And ask, you know, those sensory, I mean, I, I have a good editor to thank for some of those things where she would like, you know, as they come back, all the edits. What did she feel in this moment? What would it have smelt like? And I learned even from the first two books to remember all the time, how is she feeling? What is she smelling? What is she seeing? How is she hearing? And, but also I really walk through the world like that. I was listening to an audiobook the other day and the narrator said something about the magnolias being in bloom. And I immediately, I think I said it out loud. I was driving in the car and I was like, oh, it must have been March, because I'm, I'm so aware now after studying nature and be observant of nature for years and years and years, very into, you know, more Deliberately, with my children over the past 20 years that I know what's in bloom in certain times. I think in literature, it's so interesting that if our children are exposed to nature and being outside that it actually is helpful when they're reading and listening, because an author won't necessarily say, and it was March and the magnolias were in bloom. They'll just say they were walking down the street and the magnolias were in bloom. So when I was researching in all three of those books, I was really in the weeds of what flower would they have noticed? Was that actually. Would that be real in that time in England? Would that, you know, that have been blooming, or would that tree have been there? What would the weather have been like? And so from both sides. As a reader and as a writer, I'm so aware of where nature fits into literature and how it can take us into a place and into a season more than just writing about it and in it. And it's in. It's lovely. So I think another. Another reason to encourage our children and walk with them on that journey of attention and observation, because it helps their understanding of books. Yeah. So I did try and tie that into them. Yeah.
- [38:24]
Ginny Yurch
And I loved it. I feel like it really put you in the scene. And I loved the part where she sees snow for the first time. So she's seeing snow and frost. And it was really interesting how she related it to the nature that she'd seen. And I thought that was really beautiful. Like water glist in the sun, whether it's frost or whether it's snow or whether it's the waves on the ocean. And she says, this reminds me of water I saw when I was very little. It's all dancing. All the light is dancing like stars. And so no matter where you grow up or what your nature is, there's wonder in it. And you have this quote in here that I. I know the quote, but I had no idea where it was from. I. I've always loved the quote, but I would have had no idea. I mean, I probably could have just looked it up, but I never did. We could never have loved the earth so well if we had not childhood in it. I mean, it keeps going, but I'm like, even that part, it is so true that childhood is a part of where you learn to love the world. And then you're talking about the seasonality and the things that come. And we've got our tiny little fingers as we play in the grass. So it's so interesting how even in A biography. Different themes can weave their way through. And there is a lot in this one about nature and the senses and, and what you can learn through those and how they kind of ground you like. So. So then there was another one and I just go, so in line with you where this is nature in a painting.
- [39:54]
Leah Bowen
Yeah.
- [39:54]
Ginny Yurch
So she gets to go to London. This is a new experience. It's really busy, people are in a hurry. She feels out of place, you know, and her, the mother that she's living with says, you belong here. I'm proud to have you with me. And they go and look at this, these paintings and you know, she notices this dandelion clock and noticing different things and things that are hidden. And I thought maybe that's something that we've kind of lost.
- [40:20]
Leah Bowen
Yeah, yeah. I mean I, that, that what I wrote there actually happened in my life. So I had a group of children. We were looking at that particular painting. I think it's St. Catherine. I can't remember the full name of it, but I can picture the cat, she's leaning on a wheel. I've seen the painting and. But I was looking at a group of kids in my house and they were all different ages and there was a three year old and the three year old wasn't really involved with the, with the, you know, she'd come along with her mum and the rest of the kids and we were all talking about this painting and we were talking about the Catherine and the wheel on the background and suddenly this three year old just said point, came up to the picture and pointed at this tiny dandelion clock, the actual seed form. So it's the most delicate at the time when it's just almost translucent and isn't it. And she said, what's that? Look at that. It's a flower. And nobody else had seen it. And so we went down this rabbit hole because we were like, well, why did he paint it there? What's that for? And so we began to research and look at the significance, which it turns out it is very significant. And so when I was writing the story and she was in the gallery and I was going through the gallery experience in my head, I was like, that's what needs to happen. She needs. Because she would be. Because I guess sometimes when you're so you. When children are moved, and I know this from friends who've moved across the world with their kids, when they are. When they've gone through, when they're feeling displaced.
- [42:00]
Ginny Yurch
Yeah.
- [42:00]
Leah Bowen
They're kind of holding on to what they can they'll find these think people and places of security or things that they recognize and they kind of hone in and focus a little bit more on. Like I had one, I had a friend, I've got a friend who's a social worker who works with refugees. And I said, tell me about displacement. What does that look like? And she said, lots of sensory things. The smells are different, the things taste different. There's a heightened sense of. Of their senses are like everything feels different, everything makes them feel displaced. But they will find things to hold on to. And at that moment when she's. She struggled walking on the street, she had some people looking at her, etc, so she's in this gallery and then she hones in on the smallest thing, but recognizes something. And yeah, again, I'm trying to do this journey with her and trying to see what would she see, what would she notice. And then obviously in the story, the, the lovely museum attendant notice he hears her and helps her understand what it's there for. So, yeah, I mean, I, you know, a lot of that stuff that I wrote into it has actually happened to me with children. And that's why I was able to then add it to the story and all that. All the art, I've. Most of it I've seen and it's incredible. I tried to tie art, music, poetry, nature into all of them.
- [43:26]
Ginny Yurch
Yeah. And they are. Yep. Good story. Yes. Because she plays Clementi sonatas, Sanatinas, and so she's playing the piano. And there's a lot of storytelling in the book. And you wrote with the painting, there's always something new to discover. If you look closely, maybe something that maybe is being lost and it's just a reminder to slow down. Yeah. I was like, oh, maybe we should go back to the Museum of Art, you know, with the kids and slow down. I mean, ours are usually pretty bored, but I thought, gosh, it would be a better, a better route to, you know, a good idea to spend a little bit more time there and to see what you notice. And when you read a book like this, especially if you read it with your children, they're reminded to do the same thing, to look and see are there deeper meanings there? She has so princess, I know she likes the painting. She's got sharp eyes and she's really paying attention. And to your point, the poetry and the stories are both in here. They do this poetry assignment. What are the lines that really stick out to you? And. And they're talking about that. But education is obviously woven into all of these as well. And the philosophy of education is there because you start to think, well, you know, how did this child. I mean, she's. She's seen as being a fascinating, even as a child, you know, that she's really.
- [44:46]
Leah Bowen
She's very bright.
- [44:48]
Ginny Yurch
Yeah, very bright. And Queen comments on this and a lot of her educational experiences. And we talked about this with CS Lewis. And then Charlotte Mason obviously is poured so much into the topic of education. For Princess Ina, it's very individualized. She starts off really in a home education environment, even where the siblings in the home are going off to the school and the mother that she's living with with, Mrs. Forbes says, I'm going to make sure that you get what you need in this situation. And then she goes to the shown family and has a really a remarkable time there with these seven children, and she gets to be home educated along with the other children. And I would imagine you did this on purpose, but with Mrs. Forbes, she does some narration.
- [45:37]
Leah Bowen
Yeah, I absolutely did it on purpose.
- [45:40]
Ginny Yurch
And I knew it. I knew it.
- [45:42]
Leah Bowen
I was like, oh, I can't resist, Ginny. I can't resist. It was so fun. Just like those little bits. And it's so interesting. Like Charlotte Mason, educators reading them, they're like. And their kids are like. They're narrating. She's the race. I mean, I had to. I had to weave in. But the thing is, that was a common form of. Of kind of making learning stick. It was a common form of being. If you're in a. If you. All you have is books and you haven't got worksheets, sheets and, you know, tech and everything, then, yeah, like, tell me what you've just heard. I mean, it's a simple way of learning, isn't it?
- [46:19]
Ginny Yurch
I was like, I see what here, Sarah. Sarah found herself drawn to Othello's story. She could feel his pain, his struggle to be understood and valued beyond the color of his skin. They called him the Moor, judging him before they knew his heart. It was something she understood in her own way, the sense of being different in a world that didn't always understand. When Mrs. Forbes finished, she set the book down gently and looked at Sarah. Now can you tell me what happened? She asked. I was like, oh, yeah, there it is. There is. But can you talk about how, you know, in this situation of being displaced and a huge change, the value. You can really sense the value that. That individualized attention and education, even if it's a mix amidst seven other kids that are the siblings in the family. How that could really help form her.
- [47:12]
Leah Bowen
Yeah, I mean I, you know, I'm no expert on displacement, but I, from what I did learn, I think it's especially from my, my social worker friend who's working with, with children coming into our city even now that having any form of, you know, a sort of regular pattern or something in their lives where it's about them for. So if, even if it's owning their own backpack with their own stuff in, it's kind of having this is mine and it grounds them. And so I think for, you know, she was very privileged was Ina the, the life that she had in England, but not imagined sort of coming and feeling displaced and then being sent to a school, which is what happened to, to Jack in Jack's story. You know, moved from Ireland to England, then sent to a boarding school. It was awful experience for him. Whereas Ina had this wonderful opportunity to ground herself in the home with the parent figure and having an education that was tailored to her that would have been so life giving, not only for her mind, because she was. Yeah, we, we were told she was a very intelligent young girl, but also with that comfort. There's a comfort, isn't there, in being in the home, Being in the place where, you know you're safe and you know, the people are safe and there's food and there's a bathroom or whatever it is in that. How severe that displacement is and you get to learn there. And it wasn't until obviously she was. Was a little bit older and then went back to. Went back to Africa that she was in more of a school setting. But there was always a safe person. And I think that's what's grounding for children as well is knowing this per. I can trust this person and that, you know, not all children have that. So I, I, yeah, I enjoyed exploring and also just researching what kind of books were available. What would they have been using.
- [49:17]
Ad Read / Sponsor Voice
Yeah.
- [49:17]
Leah Bowen
Which was. Yeah. I mean Shakespeare is a classic really.
- [49:23]
Ginny Yurch
I just learn. You can learn so much through the study of one person's life. So much. So much the history and all of those connections. A lot of stories in this one. So a lot of stories at night the father will tell stories.
- [49:36]
Leah Bowen
Yeah.
- [49:37]
Ginny Yurch
Or the teachers in the boarding school will tell stories. You talked quite a bit about the story of the struggle between these brothers.
- [49:45]
Ad Read / Sponsor Voice
Yes.
- [49:45]
Leah Bowen
So that's an African, I guess, a fable. And so she's told the story in at two different times. I think she. Oh, she retells the story. So she's told it As a child, around the baobab tree, I think, or something like that. And then she retells the children when she's a teacher. She then shares the story then. So it's one that she carries with her, which I think, think. I think so many of our children will do that as home educating families. I think they'll have stories that they heard as children, you know, whether it's a fable, a poem, a. A great book, and they will tell it to their children. I know I definitely have done that with. With stories that my. My family read me. And so, yeah, and that was important to her, and she carried that through. And. And again, that, you know, I think it's a little reflection of. She had a very Anglicized education, and she had a very Anglicized focus on her life and education when she was in England. But she was always that kind of feet into two places, wanting to make sure. And she did this when she was teaching, that the children were learning African stories. African, you know, and that the heritage, the. The stories, the history, the parables, the songs, and. And I think in some part of the. Can't remember where. Which chapter is in. She's in it. That's challenged by the English missionaries. They challenge her and what she's teaching. And she is like, no, I'm. This is. This is important. Yeah, yeah.
- [51:26]
Ginny Yurch
And what she's teaching and. And the methodology.
- [51:29]
Leah Bowen
That's right.
- [51:29]
Ginny Yurch
She's using these stories. And I thought that was a really interesting part too, where she had had the experiences where she said, these stories that I was told. You know, Ms. Sass is telling stories by the candlelight or the flickering firelight, and she's saying, these are connecting me to my past, and these make me feel cherished. And there's lessons of pride and forgiveness and the strength of family. And so then she takes this. This thing that really impacted her as a child, and she's passing on to these other students when she becomes a teacher and people are question. They're questioning her methods. And you thought, well, this is just exactly like what's happening today.
- [52:05]
Leah Bowen
Absolutely, absolutely.
- [52:07]
Ginny Yurch
How could your kids be learning enough?
- [52:09]
Ad Read / Sponsor Voice
What.
- [52:09]
Ginny Yurch
What method are you using for this or that?
- [52:11]
Leah Bowen
Are you a trained teacher? Yeah, I mean, exactly. All the things that we deal with. Yeah.
- [52:17]
Ginny Yurch
You have to stand her ground. And she knew. She knew it. She knew it was right because she knew how much those stories had affected her. And so then she's giving that to the students that she's working with. If this gives away the ending, I'll just Delete it. So you just tell me obviously the stories from the 1800s. I was super intrigued to learn that photography started in the 1800s. I know I would have never, never thought it started that you're like, she goes to, and she gets all this time with the Queen, Queen Victoria. And the Queen says, well, let's get a photo. We, I have this new hobby.
- [52:50]
Leah Bowen
Isn't that. And she was obsessed with it, apparently. Queen Victoria was like really, really into. I know. And it wasn't necessarily her taking the pictures. It was having her picture taken and having a photographer in the palace who could take pictures of anybody who came in. And she was obsessed with it.
- [53:10]
Ginny Yurch
I think it's miraculous. I still think that you can capture a moment in time with all the colors and the expression or now video. I mean, what in the world is happening? Then you can, you can beam it through the air to your mom and say, this is what we're doing.
- [53:26]
Leah Bowen
Yeah.
- [53:26]
Ginny Yurch
I mean it is just wild. But I would have had no idea that in the 1800s that there is this photography. And, and so Princess Ina is one of, probably one of the first that's getting her photo taken. And the Queen is like saying, you know, used to take hours. It used to take hours to paint someone. You have to sit there the whole time. This is a miracle. This, it's totally a miracle. So the book takes place in the 1800s, so everybody would know that Princess Aina obviously has passed. But one of the things that really struck me was that she passed young. Ish. And so she had a daughter who was seven years old.
- [54:03]
Leah Bowen
Yeah.
- [54:04]
Ginny Yurch
When she passed. So I thought what an interesting full circle moment that she's called Victoria.
- [54:10]
Leah Bowen
Oh, no, Victoria was the oldest one.
- [54:12]
Ginny Yurch
So this is.
- [54:13]
Leah Bowen
Right. This is the youngest one, Stella.
- [54:14]
Ginny Yurch
Yeah.
- [54:14]
Leah Bowen
But she named her first one Victoria. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [54:17]
Ginny Yurch
So this is Stella and you. I think it, it left me with a message so you wouldn't have to tell me if I'm going to delete this or not. It left me with the message that everyone goes through their hard things and there are different, I think there are different levels of hard things. People will say that there's not, but I think that there are. You know, I, I think that if you lose your family and you're kept for a prisoner for several years and you almost lose your life and then you get shipped off to this other place and then, you know, you're kind of bounced around from place to place. That's hard. So is losing your mom when you're seven years Old. And so I, I really took away this message that, that here comes the next child that is going to go through hardship.
- [54:54]
Leah Bowen
Right.
- [54:55]
Ginny Yurch
And there are all kinds of hardships that you can go through. But you see the hope, you see the hand of God in her story, you see the protection, you see the people that stepped into help. And so you can kind of trust that it will be similar for Stella.
- [55:09]
Leah Bowen
Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, I think you're absolutely right. And it, it did continue and you know, she has living descendants in England. They were in this documentary that I watched and I was like, oh, my word, this is amazing. I mean, yeah, so, yeah, you're absolutely right. I think that children, I mean, I've worked before, I had my own children. I worked with children who were, have going through some difficulties in their families and they were the kind of kids that were getting thrown out of school and that was. And I, and I remember, you know, finding out about their stories and the varying ways they dealt with that and their different growing resilience and sometimes you were like, you shouldn't have to grow in resilience in this way. You're so young. But how this, the human strength to get through the next day, to find hope, to find the right people is very strong. You know, I'm, I'm just, I'm grateful that now we know so much more, we understand so much more about the impact on the body and the brain that we can help children who have faced these things. But yeah, there's a lot of sadness in her story and I'm. But I'm glad you also heard the hope in it as well. Yeah.
- [56:38]
Ginny Yurch
Princess Aina, a girl of two worlds. Ripped from her homeland, she was forced to start a new life in England, a place very different from what she knew, but one that also brought new friendships and opportunities. Her story has been overshadowed in the history we learn. And so you're bringing this one forth and it is a beautiful story of hope and courage and dealing with change. And there's a lot of change that she deals with. And I think these days we hope for a life without any change, but there is a lot of change. There's a lot of change in our world today. And so it gives you some bravery to deal with the changes that you have to deal with. And it just gives you a lot to talk about, I think, with your kids. Tell us real quick as we're wrapping up, talking about change that you have your beautiful stub stack. I know people are such a huge fan of your sub stack. You're Making some pivots there. Just really with this focus on poetry and art and music and literature. Tell us what you're doing.
- [57:29]
Leah Bowen
Yeah, I'm really inspired by Charlotte Mason used the Language of the Mind gallery and had. And she was talking about children that. As we expose our children to beauty and culture, that actually what they're doing when they own that knowledge, they're creating this gallery in their mind. And I think about that as was Women as Mothers. And I'm also. I love. There's a Goethe quote from a novel he wrote wherein a theater director is speaking to an apprentice. And many people have heard it where he says, every day you should read a poem and listen to some music and look at arts and say something kind. And so I'm gathering that kind of inspiration and basically saying, hey, let's gather around those ideas. Let's. Let's look at. Let's read poetry together. Let's look at art, let's read books. Let's see if we can fuel and fill our minds and souls and see how it helps. Helps face the world, really. And so that's my focus coming into 2026, is just to continue slightly, in a slightly different emphasis, but working with women with home, educating mothers with mothers. And yeah, there's lots of help out there for. For our exterior, for our health and our fitness. And that's all great.
- [58:52]
Ginny Yurch
I'm.
- [58:52]
Leah Bowen
I'm in for all that as well. But I'm really interested in how we feel the mind and. And that's what keeps us steady. And so that's. Yeah, that's what I'm working on right now. I'm really researching that. I love it. Aesthetics.
- [59:06]
Ginny Yurch
Love it. I talked to this man recently named Doug Lamov, and he wrote this book called Guide to the Science of Reading. And it was just like an interesting one for me to read because my galler kids are reading already. And, you know, it was like, very textbooky, but it was a fascinating. It's actually one of the favorite things I've read this year. And he was talking about how background knowledge is. He said, background knowledge is the most important driver of understanding and comprehension. And so if there's nothing that a child can kind of tie their knowledge to. And he gave an example of talking about acrobats. Like, there's this part in Charlotte's Web where the Charlotte says, I'm not an acrobat, because talking about making this word, this kind of long word. And he said, well, none of the kids knew what an acrobat was. So then they don't understand the humor of that. They don't understand that part of the story. And so it just really, really struck me. And he had this line in his book, and he said, our students need more to think with.
- [60:02]
Leah Bowen
Yeah. Well, this is why Charlotte Mason talked about the feast of education, this liberal education. Keep it wide and spacious and have this open door for them, and then they make those connections. And yeah, we, we. I mean, I want that constantly. And I love it that when you're reading one thing, I mean, you've done it so many times, even in this conversation, you're reading one thing and your mind goes. That reminds me of.
- [60:27]
Ginny Yurch
Yes. And you have the mind Gallery, right?
- [60:31]
Leah Bowen
We need the mind gallery.
- [60:32]
Ginny Yurch
So, yeah, I love it.
- [60:34]
Leah Bowen
Yeah.
- [60:34]
Ginny Yurch
Oh, I love what you're doing. I'll make sure. I'll put all the links in the show notes. I hope. I hope that more come. I have loved these biographies. I hope that more come. I'm so curious. I like, what is the list of 10? Like, what might be the other one?
- [60:46]
Leah Bowen
But this is growing.
- [60:47]
Ginny Yurch
It's growing. This is fantastic.
- [60:49]
Leah Bowen
Huge.
- [60:49]
Ginny Yurch
Congratulations, and thank you so much for being here.
- [60:51]
Leah Bowen
Thank you for having me.
- [60:52]
Allie Jackson
Again, if you're a podcast host, listen up. This one's for you. My name is Allie Jackson. I'm the host of Finding Mr. Height, a dating and relationship podcast that I've been doing for four years now, sharing my positive and practical approach to dating that's built on my own life experience. And I wanted to share another experience that I've had, my secret behind monetizing my show. It's called Red Circle, and I was just telling my colleague about how much I love their platform. With Red Circle, not only am I getting a seamless hosting experience, but I also love the support I receive in ad sales. It's not just typical ad sales either. It's targeted opportunities based on my show and my life. And the platform is super simple. You just set your preferences and Red Circle matches you with sponsors that align with your show. You can vet every opportunity, and their platform gives you great analytics. More recently, too, my Red Circle team has brought me opportunities outside of my podcast on social media to really augment the podcast partnerships. Bring them full circle. I just can't recommend them enough. If you want to give it a try, go to redcircle.com to get your free trial. That's redcircle.com for a free trial.