Just Willa: Family Secrets and Strength Revealed

In this episode, Betsy Wurzel interviews author Helen Sheehy about her novel Just Willa, a story inspired by Helen’s own mother. Growing up on tenant farms in Oklahoma and Kansas, Helen’s family history shaped her deep curiosity about her mother’s life, which remained largely unknown to her until after her mother passed away when Helen was 36.

Helen Sheehy, a long-time theatre professor at Southern Connecticut State University, has authored biographies of three theatre pioneers: Margo: The Life and Theatre of Margo Jones, Eva Le Gallienne: A Biography, and Eleonora Duse: A Biography — with the latter two named New York Times notable books of the year. After years of writing nonfiction, Just Willa marks her first venture into fiction, returning to her love of storytelling.

In Just Willa, the fictional Willa Hardesty is modeled after Helen’s mother, Wilma. The novel follows Willa, the daughter of a homesteader, as she navigates the challenges of farm life, the Great Depression, and decades of personal and social hardships. Willa encourages her daughters to pursue education for a better life, showing strength, grit, and determination despite the difficulties of the 1930s and 40s. Her husband Jake, a tenant farmer, also earned money bootlegging whiskey at local dances.

Betsy and Helen have a warm discussion about how Just Willa touches on universal themes — family sacrifice, resilience, and hope. The story brought back memories for Betsy of her own parents, who met at a dance and shared a deep love for music. Betsy describes Just Willa as a heart-touching, powerful read that made her laugh, cry, and reflect on her own life experiences.

As Helen explains, storytelling like Just Willa brings people together by reminding us of our shared struggles and joys. Willa Hardesty’s role as caregiver — not just to her family, but to friends and even strangers — shines throughout the novel. Betsy calls Just Willa a true page-turner that she couldn’t put down, feeling as though she was right there with Willa as her life unfolded.

For more information on Just Willa and Helen Sheehy’s other books, visit her website: https://helensheehy.org/books/just-willa/

Just Willa is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Willa-Helen-Sheehy/dp/1734267836/

Special thanks to Lissa Warren, President of Lissa Warren PR, for arranging this interview: https://www.lissawarrenpr.com/

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