Christine B. Emmanuel
Author
The Enduring Spirit of an American Family Spanning 400 Years © 2024
Author ignites interest in the human experience across 14 generations in America
HISTORICAL NONFICTION AUTHOR Christine Broderick Emmanuel has written an expansive narrative of the illustrious “Westcotts” who have played a role in shaping our nation’s course since the Winthrop Fleet set sail for America.
Emmanuel's Westcott lineage is deeply rooted in Devonshire, England, with hints of French, German, and Scots-Irish coursing through her bloodline. With an abundance of outlandish characters and stories to draw from her ancestral well, she lays out the webs of the Westcotts and related families as they spread their strands across 400 years and 14 generations in America.
Several of the family’s more sensational stories drew headlines in their day. But many others are tales of leadership and initiative by men and women doing their part in the building of colonies and finally a country—wealthy families, struggling families all connected to the Westcott name and all contributing to the patchwork story of America.
Embodying the spirit and values reflected across every phase of American history, Emmanuel’s stories are at once baffling and remarkable, heartbreaking and inspiring. The cascading multigenerational histories in parallel with America’s fascinating course make The Westcott Story a compelling read for anyone interested in family history research, engaging human-interest stories, and the ties that bind generations to relatable historical events.
_____
To commemorate the Semiquincentennial of the United States on July 4, 1776, Tallahassee’s WFSU public radio produced a “Tom About Town” segment that addresses the author's Westcott family ties to this legendary period and how they came to aid Florida's growth as the nation's 27th state. Radio personality Tom Flanigan introduces The Westcott Story midway through the 20-minute segment as Emmanuel is interviewed by WFSU’s Executive Producer of Television Suzanne Smith.
A review of The Westcott Story is published in the June 2026 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly for subscribers-only.
A review of The Westcott Story and the family's connection to Pittsburgh is featured in the Summer 2026 issue of Heinz History Center's Western Pennsylvania History quarterly magazine.
On October 8, 2025, WFSU Public Media's Tallahassee's veteran radio personality Tom Flanigan aired a “Perspectives” segment with Emmanuel – "Former FSU student turns historical author to trace the long and amazing tale of the Westcott family | WFSU News" (audio link found at top of page).
On September 22, 2025, Pensacola State College published an online summary of The Westcott Story titled "Author Offers Personal Insight into America's Fascinating History Since 1630."
The Westcott Story is featured in the September 2025 issue of Bella Magazine in an article by senior editor Lisa Player titled "From Discovery to Dynasty: Christine Broderick Emmanuel turned family records into a multi-generational American saga."
On August 5, 2025, Emmanuel sat for a nearly hour-long interview with Pueschel Thornton, executive producer of The Thornton Review, sponsored by Charles Thornton of Pensacola. Their discussion about The Westcott Story is captured in this video recording.
On July 17, 2025, Emmanuel participated in the "Stories That Stitch Us Together" STORY SLAM hosted by the Equity Project Alliance in Pensacola. Six presenters shared personal stories to a live audience—each within six minutes and without any notes or props. "The Phone Call" opens her remarks about The Westcott Story as captured in this video recording.
On June 18, 2025, the Pensacola News Journal published “A Family’s Long Legacy: Crossing the Delaware with Washington just part of it.” Appearing “above the fold,” the front-page article about The Westcott Story stemmed from columnist Troy Moon’s fascination with history. Moon's in-depth article, retitled "Pocahontas to George Washington all had ties to Pensacola author's family," appears in PNJ's June 22, 2025, online edition.
On her 72nd birthday on June 12, 2025, Emmanuel joined "PEP Talk with Meg" for a live interview to discuss The Westcott Story on NewsRadio 92.3 FM. The 20-minute podcast is available at https://www.newsradio923.com/pep/episode/2782aff2/06122025-the-westcott-story-with-author-christine-broderick-emmanuel.
On March 12, 2025, FSU News published an article on The Westcott Story titled "The Westcott Story shares the legacy of the Westcott family and their impact at FSU [Florida State University]." The lineage of "James Diament Westcott" of FSU fame features prominently in the article.
-
Oct 10, 2026, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. – Bodacious Bookstore, Pensacola, Florida, book signing
-
Mar 4, 2027, 7–8:30 p.m. EST – The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, Professional Lecture Series via Zoom, author talk
See "Happenings" for a list of all 28 author events held since March 2025.
The media is invited to draw from the toolkit that appears under "Contacts/Media Kit."
If The Westcott Story resonates, help me spread the word and post a review on Amazon and / or Goodreads. If it's worthy of a read, it's worthy of a review. Thank you!
YOU MAY NEED TO SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE ON AMAZON TO LOCATE BOTH VERSIONS OF THE WESTCOTT STORY -- Volume I AND Volume II.