Quills and Cliffhangers

An excerpt from the 1911 bestselling Western romance, The Winning of Barbara Worth. A California cowboy and a New York engineer compete for the hand of a wealthy rancher's daughter. Read the full ...

How to become a charming conversationalist, excerpted from Florence Hartley's 1860 bestseller, The Ladies' Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness. Read the full transcript of this podcast at ou...

Learn how to ride a horse sidesaddle with this charming excerpt from Florence Hartley's groundbreaking 1860 work, The Ladies' Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness. Read the full transcript of...

An amusing satire of the adventures of the Great Detective, excerpted from author Stephen Leacock's Nonsense Novels. Read the full transcript of this podcast at http://quillsandcliffhangers.blogspo...

In Chapter 3 of her classic novel, Jo's Boys, author Louisa May Alcott laments the loss of privacy that accompanies fame and fortune. Read the full transcript of this podcast at our blog: http://qu...

Jane Eyre, the famous 19th century novel by Charlotte Bronte, presented a compelling case for equal rights for women and men. Read the full transcript of this podcast at our blog: http://quillsandc...

Jane reads a classic short story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter. Read the full transcript of this podcast at our blog: http://quillsandcliffhangers.blogspot.com. Please like, comment...

An audiobook presentation of Fables in Slang, the 1899 bestseller by George Ade. In Part 2, Jane reads a classic story: The Fable of the Brash Drummer and the Peach Who Learned That There Were Oth...

An audiobook presentation of Fables in Slang, the 1899 bestseller by George Ade. In Part 1, Jane reads two stories: The Fable of the Slim Girl Who Tried To Keep a Date That Was Never Made and The F...

A biography of the celebrated 19th century author Anatole France and a synopsis of his first novel, The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard. Anatole France is fondly remembered for his many witty sayings ab...

A biography of author Sue Grafton, a master of the modern murder mystery genre. Jane, the host of the Quills and Cliffhangers podcast, lists eight elements of classic "whodunit" novels. Follow Qui...

If you love old books, you're in excellent company! A home filled with books is an oasis of civilization, a warm and inviting haven from the hectic bustle of the modern world. Your host, Jane, the...