A purse isn’t just an accessory, it’s a story, a statement, and sometimes, a lifeline. That’s the lens through which today’s guest explores history. In her new book, The Things She’s Carried: A Cultural History of the Purse in America, Dr. Kathleen Casey uncovers how a seemingly ordinary object reflects deep connections to gender, identity, privacy, and even survival. With relevance to the civil rights movement, workplace struggles, personal memories, and national tragedies, she documents how purses have been tools with a rich tapestry of cultural meaning.