In Episode 217, Sarah chats with author Christine Kuehn about her memoir, Family of Spies, and the thirty-year journey that led her to uncover a long-buried family secret. Christine shares how the story first entered her life, the decades-long research process behind reconstructing her father’s past, and what it meant to weave her own discovery into the historical narrative surrounding her family’s role in the Pearl Harbor attack. She also offers a glimpse of what she’s working on next and shares some of her favorite book recommendations.
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Highlights
- How the shape of the book’s narrative sets it apart from other WWII stories
- How this story entered Christine’s life — and the moment everything changed
- Her decision to publicly share this dark chapter of her family’s history
- The decades-long research process behind uncovering her father’s past
- Why integrating her own discovery story was essential to telling her family’s role in the Pearl Harbor attack
- A glimpse at what she’s working on next
Christine’s Book Recommendations [31:29]
Two OLD Books She Loves
- The Women by Kristin Hannah (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:43]
- Agent Sonya by Ben Macintyre (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:45]
- Other Books Mentioned
- The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre (2018) [34:45]
- The Siege by Ben Macintyre (2024) [34:47]
Two NEW Books She Loves
- Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:57]
- The Lost Kitchen, Vol 2: Big Heart Little Stove by Erin French (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:35]
- Other Books Mentioned
- Finding Freedom by Erin French (2021) [38:46]
One Book She DIDN’T Love
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:48]
One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About
- Whistler by Ann Patchett (June 2, 2026) | Amazon
| Bookshop.org [41:33]
- Other Books Mentioned
Books From the Discussion
- At Dawn We Slept by Gordon W. Prange (1981) [5:47]
Other Links
- Instagram | Sarah’s Bookshelves, Family of Spies Review
About Christine Kuehn
Christine Kuehn Schiponi began her career as a journalist before working in public relations and the nonprofit sector. In 1994, a mysterious letter set her on a thirty-year journey to uncover a long-buried family secret — a quest that ultimately became her memoir, Family of Spies. Drawing on her background in storytelling and research, Christine explores themes of truth, identity, and reckoning in her work. She lives in Maryland with her husband and is the mother of three grown children.
Next Episode
In two weeks (March 4), Sarah will chat with Sarajane Case, author of The Honest Enneagram, to talk about reading through the enneagram lens.
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