Season 9, Episode 6 - Kristen Loesch
In this new episode of History Through Fiction the podcast, host Colin Mustful speaks with author Kristen Loesch to discuss her novel The Hong Kong Widow, a sweeping historical mystery set across 1930s Shanghai, 1950s Hong Kong, and modern-day Hong Kong. Loesch shares how family history, urban legends, and the idea of a “collective hallucination” shaped her story. She reveals the challenges of weaving multiple timelines, creating atmospheric settings, and balancing research with character-driven storytelling.
🎧 Tune in now on your favorite podcast platform!
About the Author
Kristen Loesch grew up in San Francisco. She holds a BA in History, as well as a Master’s degree in Slavonic Studies from the University of Cambridge. Her first novel, The Last Russian Doll, was a finalist for the Edgar Award and has been published in twelve territories. She lives with her family in Switzerland.
Hong Kong, 1953: In a remote mansion, witnesses insist a massacre took place. The police see nothing but pristine rooms and declare it a collective hallucination. Until decades later, when one witness returns…
“The Hong Kong Widow is a tour de force: tense, emotional, poetic, and utterly unputdownable…. Kristen Loesch is a major talent, and I can’t wait to see what she does next!”
—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of
The Alice Network
