The Myth of Susanna - the making of a 'difficult woman.'

Every family has its stories. The ones told and retold until they harden into truth.In this episode, I begin to unravel the myth of my great-grandmother, Susanna—a woman I’ve come to see as both extraordinary and deeply unknowable. According to family lore, she rose from poverty, bought land, built a house, and created a thriving business against all odds. But the deeper I look, the less certain that story becomes.Where did the money come from? How did she really live? And why was she remembered, by some, as a “difficult woman”?What emerges isn’t a clear narrative, but something more complex: fragments, contradictions, and inherited beliefs passed down through generations. Alongside this, I begin to notice patterns—of mental health, family conflict, and the ways women are judged—that echo uncomfortably into the present.This episode is about more than one woman. It’s about how family myths are made, how they shape us, and what happens when we start to question them.Because sometimes, the stories we inherit tell us as much about ourselves as they do about the past.Sharing this on your Substack makes a huge difference….go on! Get full access to Ada Gardener - women's writes at adagardener.substack.com/subscribe