Episode 358: Hoes of History: Marion Donovan

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode discusses suicide and assisted suicide. If these topics are upsetting or activating for you, please take care while listening. You may choose to skip this episode or reach out to someone you trust or a mental health resource for support. Alice and Ellen Kessler were identical twin sisters whose synchronized dance moves, glamour, and charisma made them stars across Europe and beyond. Born in 1936, the twins trained in ballet in East Germany. In 1952, their family fled to West Germany, and soon the sisters began dazzling audiences with their talent.  They rose to international fame in the 1950s and 60s: performing on cabaret stages, television variety shows, and even sharing the screen with legendary names like Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire. Their elegant presence earned them the nickname "the legs of the nation." In November 2025, at the age of 89, Alice and Ellen made the deeply personal decision to end their lives together by joint assisted suicide in their home near Munich — a choice they had discussed and planned for over a long period. Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]

Before disposable diapers became a household staple, one determined mother set out to solve a messy, universal problem—and ended up changing the lives of parents everywhere. In this episode, we explore the life and ingenuity of Marion Donovan, the inventor, designer, and entrepreneur whose creativity reshaped childcare. From her early years tinkering with tools in her father's factory, to the moment she fashioned her first waterproof diaper cover out of a shower curtain, Marion's story is one of persistence, frustration-fueled innovation, and visionary thinking. We trace her journey from initial rejection by manufacturers to the eventual success of her "Boater," the precursor to the modern disposable diaper, and uncover the many other inventions she created along the way. Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]

Caroline Norton was a poet, social reformer, and one of the most influential women you've never heard of. Born into privilege but trapped in an abusive marriage, Caroline used her voice and her pen to challenge a legal system that rendered married women powerless. Her fight was personal, painful, and revolutionary. After being cut off from her own income, barred from seeing her children, and publicly scandalized by her husband, Caroline ignited a movement that led to major reforms in British law, including the Custody of Infants Act (1839), the Matrimonial Causes Act (1857), and the Married Women's Property Act (1870). Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]

Marie Laveau ruled 19th-century New Orleans with a power that transcended race, religion, and reputation. Was she a healer or a hustler? A mystic or a master manipulator? In this episode, we unravel the legend of the Voodoo Queen who turned whispers into influence and left a legacy that still haunts the French Quarter today. Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]

In this episode, we explore the dramatic and tragic life of Susan Cabot, born Harriet Pearl Shapiro in 1927. From a childhood marked by loss and foster care in the Bronx to her rise as a Hollywood actress in Westerns and cult B-movies like Sorority Girl and The Wasp Woman, Susan's story is one of ambition, resilience, and hidden struggles. Behind the screen, she navigated secret relationships—including an alleged long-term affair with King Hussein of Jordan—motherhood, and battles with mental health. Tragically, in 1986, her only son, struggling with drug addiction, fatally stabbed her during a violent altercation at her Los Angeles home, ending her life at 58. Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]

Everyone knows the story of Bonnie and Clyde—but few know the woman who was there beside them: Blanche Barrow. Married to Buck Barrow, Clyde's older brother, Blanche found herself swept into the Barrow Gang's whirlwind of crime, chaos, and tragedy during the Great Depression. In this episode, we explore Blanche's journey from a preacher's daughter to a reluctant fugitive, tracing how love and loyalty pulled her into one of America's most infamous crime sprees. Discover how her time with Bonnie and Clyde shaped her fate—and how she fought to reclaim her life after the guns went silent. Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]

Before she was the world's most famous primatologist, Jane Goodall was a curious young girl who dreamed of living among animals in Africa. In this episode, we follow her extraordinary journey—from a childhood fascination with nature in wartime England to the groundbreaking discoveries she made in Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park. Learn how Jane's patience and empathy shattered scientific norms when she observed chimpanzees using tools, proving humanity's deep connection to the animal world. We'll explore her lifelong mission to protect wildlife, her transition from researcher to global advocate, and the legacy she continues to build through the Jane Goodall Institute and her Roots & Shoots program. Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]

Before Marilyn Monroe or Cindy Crawford, there was Audrey Munson — the original American muse. In the early 1900s, her face and figure inspired hundreds of statues across New York City and beyond. She was celebrated as "Miss Manhattan," immortalized in marble and bronze, and became the first woman to appear fully nude in an American film. But behind the fame was a haunting story of exploitation, scandal, and tragedy. In this episode, we uncover how the woman who embodied beauty and art became forgotten by history — living her final decades in an asylum, her legacy hidden in plain sight on city streets. Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]

Dominique Crenn is the first woman in the United States to earn three Michelin stars. Raised in France and later moving to the U.S. to pursue her culinary ambitions, Dominique built a career defined by creativity, persistence, and leadership in an industry long dominated by men.  We'll cover her early influences, her rise in the restaurant world, and the challenges she faced along the way—including her public battle with breast cancer. We'll also highlight her commitment to sustainability and her role as an advocate for diversity and equity in the culinary field. You'll even get a little education on how the Michelin stars work and other esteemed awards in the culinary world.  Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]

Sarah Gammon Bickford was the first Black woman in the United States to own a public utility. Born into slavery in Tennessee in 1852, Sarah's early life was marked by hardship, resilience, and a determination to carve out her own destiny. After emancipation, she moved west to Virginia City, Montana—where she reinvented herself in a place few African American women dared to go. Sarah's story is one of reinvention and quiet revolution. From running a boarding house and candy store to taking ownership of Virginia City's water company, she became a respected entrepreneur in a male-dominated frontier town. Along the way, she raised a family, overcame personal losses, and turned the hot springs and waterworks into symbols of both survival and success. Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]