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Welcome back to Speaking of Her. In this week’s episode, we sit down with Lyndsay, who opens up about her journey to sobriety.

What begins as a reflection on life over decade ago unfolds into a deeply honest conversation about recognising unhealthy patterns, confronting difficult truths, and finding hope through support and community. With vulnerability and strength, she shares how choosing sobriety reshaped not only her daily life but her sense of self, her relationships, and her purpose.

In this heartfelt episode, we explore:

• The signs that alcohol had become a problem, and the turning point that led her to seek help
• Her first experiences with support groups — the nerves, the surprises, and the principles that continue to guide her
• The emotional landscape of early sobriety and how her relationship with herself has evolved
• The unexpected joys of a sober life, the role of community, and her encouragement for anyone struggling — especially as Christmas approaches

This episode is tender, honest, and full of hope. Whether sobriety is part of your own story or something affecting someone you love, her perspective offers insight, and the reminder that it’s never too late to choose a different path.

If you, or a family member is seeking support, we have included a couple of links below:

Al-Anon UK | For families & friends of alcoholics

Home - Alcoholics Anonymous Great Britain

Keywords

Sobriety journey, recovery, personal stories, Speaking of Her podcast, women supporting women, sobriety at Christmas, empowering women’s stories, lived experience recovery, hope and healing, real women real stories, transforming your life, sobriety support, recovery community, women’s wellness

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In this powerful and deeply moving episode, we continue our conversation with Jihyun Park, activist, survivor, and co-author of The Hard Road Out.

In Part 1, Jihyun shared her extraordinary story of growing up under the brutal regime of North Korea, she told us about her first daring escape, the heartbreaking challenges she faced, and she opened up about her years in China - years marked by both danger and resilience.

Join us now for Part 2 where Jihyun continues her story with extraordinary courage.

• She talks to us about being captured, imprisoned in China, and ultimately repatriated back to North Korea.
• She shares what she witnessed and experienced inside a North Korean prison camp.
• And how - against all odds - she managed a second escape.

This is a conversation about courage, endurance, and the unbreakable human spirit. Jihyun’s story is not only a testament to her strength, but also an urgent reminder of the realities faced by countless North Korean defectors today.

We have linked to The Hard Road Out below:

The Hard Road Out: One Woman’s Escape From North Korea : Park, Jihyun, Chai, Seh-lynn, Baldwin, Sarah: Amazon.co.uk: Books

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In this powerful and deeply moving episode, we sit down with Jihyun Park, activist, survivor, and co-author of The Hard Road Out. Jihyun shares her extraordinary story of growing up under the brutal regime of North Korea, offering a rare and intimate look into daily life inside the world’s most secretive country.

She takes us through her first daring escape, the heartbreaking challenges she faced, and the unimaginable risks she took in search of freedom. Jihyun also opens up about her years in China - years marked by both danger and resilience - as she fought to survive and ultimately reclaim control of her life.

This is a conversation about courage, endurance, and the unbreakable human spirit. Jihyun’s story is not only a testament to her strength, but also an urgent reminder of the realities faced by countless North Korean defectors today.

#survivor

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Welcome back to Speaking of Her. For this week’s episode, Lucy is telling the story of the incredible Flora Sandes — the only British woman to officially serve as a soldier on the front lines during WWI.

What began as a humanitarian mission quickly transformed into a life of rifles, marches, and battlefield danger as Flora fought alongside the Serbian Army, refusing every limit placed on her by gender or convention.

In this riveting episode, we explore:

• How a British-born woman began her journey as a volunteer nurse — and how this path led her to contract a near-fatal case of typhoid fever
• Her recovery against the odds, and how surviving that brush with death strengthened her resolve to keep serving — ultimately leading her to enlist as a combatant in the Serbian Army
• The brutal Balkan front and the battles where Flora proved herself a soldier among soldiers
• Her postwar life — decorated veteran, trailblazing author, and a woman who never stopped defying expectations

Trust us — Flora Sandes will leave you redefining what bravery looked like in a world at war.

Sources:

Stephen Liddell.co.uk
History-uk.com
ChatGPT
School history.co.uk
Eadt.co.uk

Keywords

Flora Sandes, WWI women soldiers, Serbian Army history, women in combat, First World War frontline, female war heroes, hidden women’s military history, feminist history podcast, Speaking of Her podcast, forgotten women warriors, trailblazing soldier, Balkan front WWI, women in uniform history, groundbreaking female veterans, untold women’s stories, real history podcast, twentieth-century women pioneers, military history through a feminist lens, extraordinary women in war, defying gender norms, combat history podcast, women who made history, overlooked war heroes, frontline bravery, global women’s history, courageous women leaders

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Before her name became synonymous with elegance, Coco Chanel was a girl who refused to be defined by her circumstances. Abandoned at an orphanage, she rose to reinvent not just her life, but the very way women dressed and lived. In this episode, we trace the story of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel - the woman who liberated fashion from the corset, built a global empire from sheer determination, and forever changed what it means to be iconic.

So go and grab yourself a glass of wine or a nice hot bevvy, and settle in for Jess’ story of Coco Chanel - the woman who changed fashion forever.

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Welcome back to Speaking of Her. For our Spooky Season Finale, Lucy leads us into one of the most haunting corners of women’s history — where industrial progress, poverty, and silence collided in the shadows of Victorian London.

We’re telling the story of the matchstick girls — the young women who worked long hours in match factories, dipping sticks into white phosphorus that slowly poisoned them from the inside out. What followed was a terrifying and agonizing condition called Phossy Jaw — where their bones literally glowed before they decayed.

In this eerie, unforgettable spooky season finale, we explore:

• The deadly factories where women and teenage girls labored under toxic conditions
• How white phosphorus ravaged the jaw, teeth, and face — and why factory owners ignored it
• The groundbreaking strike led by these women that changed labour history
• The lasting legacy of their courage in the fight for safe, dignified work

This Halloween, we’re not chasing legends or monsters.
We’re facing a very real horror: what happens when women’s pain is seen as the cost of doing business.

A glowing jaw. A silenced workforce.
And a revolt that caught fire.

Trust us — this is one story that will linger long after the episode ends.

Sources: allthatsinteresting.com
en.wikipedia.org
entandaudiologynews.com
rcseng.ac.uk
archive.org
ChatGPT

Note: Our discussion of the factory owners refers to historical events and practices. The brand today is owned by a respected Swedish company and is not associated with those past issues.

We refer to the episode with Justine on this episode, go check it out! Surviving the Unthinkable - Justine Barwick's Story.

Follow us on Instagram to check out our Norway day trip highlight!

Keywords

Matchstick girls, Phossy Jaw, white phosphorus poisoning, factory strike, Victorian factory workers, spooky season finale, women’s labor rights, labor movement history, dark history podcast, women in history podcast, industrial revolution labor, workplace safety history, feminist true crime, haunting true story, real-life horror, historical medical mystery, exploited women workers, Victorian London history, occupational disease history, untold women’s stories, Speaking of Her podcast, Halloween special episode, chilling true story, horror meets history, feminist labor history, match factories, 19th century women workers, hidden history of women, eerie historical stories, spooky season podcast finale

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Welcome back to Speaking of Her. This week, Jess takes the mic for a haunting Halloween edition — and we’re delving into one of the most chilling and misunderstood stories of the 20th century.

We’re uncovering the tragic case of Anneliese Michel — the young German woman whose death after 67 exorcisms is believed to have inspired The Exorcism of Emily Rose. But beyond the horror headlines lies something deeper: a story about faith, fear, and a woman whose suffering was never truly understood.

In this eerie, thought-provoking episode, we explore:

• The terrifying true events that blurred the line between possession and mental illness
• The infamous trial that forced a nation to question faith, medicine, and responsibility
• How modern advocates — like trauma therapist Ursula Enders — helped reshape the way we listen to women in pain

This Halloween, we’re not chasing demons. We’re confronting the very human horrors of silence, belief, and misunderstanding.

A devout daughter. A courtroom of disbelief. And a legacy that still echoes through faith and psychology today.
Trust us — this is one story you’ll feel long after the episode ends.

Keywords

Anneliese Michel, Emily Rose, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, real Emily Rose story, true story of Anneliese Michel, exorcism case, exorcism in Germany, Catholic Church exorcism, faith vs science, religion and mental illness, possession or psychosis, true crime exorcism, historical exorcism case, Anneliese Michel trial, real-life exorcism, Emily Rose inspiration, German history, 1970s Germany, faith and psychology, women and faith, trauma and belief, mental health and religion, female trauma, misunderstood women, Ursula Enders, Zartbitter Köln, women’s advocacy in Germany, Speaking of Her podcast, Halloween special podcast, haunting true story, Halloween podcast episode, chilling true story, haunting real story, horror meets history, real-life horror, true crime meets faith, psychological horror, spiritual possession, tragic true story, haunted history, women in history podcast, dark history podcast, feminist true crime

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