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Family of Spies and the Secrets That Shaped a Family

Family of Spies and the Secrets That Shaped a Family

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 Journalist Christine Kuehn joins us to discuss Family of Spies and her gripping emotional reckoning with her family’s shocking personal ties to Nazi espionage.The book begins in 1994, when a single letter from a historian pierces Kuehn’s quiet suburban life, revealing a secret she never suspected. Kuehn discovered that members of her own family were Nazi intelligence agents. What follows is a thirty-year investigation that pulls from FBI files, government and family archives, photographs, correspondence, and interviews.In today's Book Gang conversation, Kuehn reflects on reporting on her own lineage, the ethical and emotional stakes of uncovering a truth that implicates the people who raised her, and how she structured the book across dual timelines to hold both the global history and her personal reckoning.This episode airs the week of National Holocaust Remembrance Day. This moment calls us to remember not only the victims of Nazi violence, but also the systems, enablers, and silences that allowed it to spread. Christine now uses her research to support Jewish organizations, which you will hear about in today's conversation as we unbox the past together.In this emotional conversation, we explore:📚 A letter that rewrote a life: Christine walks us through the 1994 moment that sent her on a decades-long quest for truth. We talk about disbelief, denial, and what it feels like to realize your family story is not the one you were told.📚 Investigating your own inheritance: Drawing on her background as a journalist, Christine explains how her research methods evolved as new archives opened and technology advanced, how she assessed unreliable or conflicting memories, and what it was like to work alongside her husband while racing against her father’s dementia.📚 Espionage hidden in plain sight: We unpack the book’s most chilling revelations. Nazi agents embedded in 1930s Hawaii, social fronts built on glamour and charm, and how everyday excess eventually drew the FBI’s attention.📚📚 BONUS BOOK LIST: This week’s companion book list features 22 Books About Spies that include both fiction and nonfiction titles to give Christine's book a landing place. Patrons will receive printable checklists for their next visit to the library!Meet Christine KuehnChristine Kuehn was cocooned in the sanctity of a quiet suburban life when, in 1994, a letter from a historian pierced that bubble, sending her on a thirty-year quest to uncover a horrendous family secret kept hidden for half a century. Following a career in journalism, public relations, and nonprofits, Christine now lives in Maryland with her husband, close to their three grown children. Family of Spies is her debut book. Mentioned in this episode:Download Today's Show TranscriptBuy Me a Coffee - I'm grateful for your support this year!NEW BOOK LIST: 22 Books About Spies to Read NowJoin the February Book Club 2/26 at 8 PM ET (People of Means)2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (All 12 Selections)People of Means by Nancy JohnsonMilo Todd is Reclaiming Trans History (The Lilac People)Family of Spies by Christine KuhnBest Offer Wins by Marisa KashinoTable for Two by Amor TowlesFrozen River by Ariel LawhonAt Dawn We Slept by Gordon W. PrangeShirley Temple in HawaiiRoyal HawaiianThe World’s 30 Greatest Women Spies by Kurt D. SingerBookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores. Connect With Us:Join the Book Gang PatreonConnect With Christine Kuehn on InstagramConnect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdviceGet My Happy List NewsletterGet the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter
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