Pages of the Past with Ken Liss

Step into the past and explore the lives of two remarkable Brookline women from the 1800s. Mary Wild dedicated herself to raising six children in her home along the current Weybridge Road. Meanwhile, nearby on Linden Street, a teenage Adeline Faxon experienced her own unique journey. Remarkably, both of their homes remain standing today. The Brookline Historical Society has painstakingly transcribed and annotated the diaries of these women, providing captivating insights into the tapestry of life and society in Brookline during the 1850s.

There were many differences then, as there are now, between a teenage girl and a woman running a family and a household. One thing they had in common is that both were avid readers who documented what they were reading. Join Brookline Historical Society president Ken Liss at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum for a look at the books they read and what they tell us about mid-19th century literature and two people who made it a part of their lives.