
The Spider Lady
Nan Songer and Her Arachnid World War II Army
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pre-order for $9.09
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Nan McNamara
About this listen
Perfect for kids who are fascinated by insects and American history, here is the story of Nan Songer, a little-known hero of World War II, who collected and bred spiders in her home and found new ways to use their silk to help the United States win the war.
Venomous spiders, delicate silk, and science experiments filled Nan Songer’s days and nights—her home in California overflowed with many-legged critters. With inspiration from a friend, Nan began to study how spider silk could be harvested. The finely woven material spiders used to create webs was much stronger than it looked, and Nan was eager to unlock its potential and hopefully help her country at the same time. At the height of WWII, she studied different spiders before landing on the poisonous black widow as the perfect spider to experiment with. Their strong silk could be used for crosshairs on rifles, which Nan used to fill massive orders for the US military. Despite the danger posed by black widows, Nan wasn’t deterred—she wanted to play her part. Using a device she built for extracting silk, Nan humanely used it on the deadly spiders to get both extra fine and super heavy silk.
©2025 Penny Parker Klostermann (P)2025 Recorded BooksRelated to this topic
-
The Ickabog
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The kingdom of Cornucopia was once the happiest in the world. It had plenty of gold, a king with the finest moustache you could possibly imagine, and butchers, bakers, and cheesemongers whose exquisite foods made a person dance with delight when they ate them. Everything was perfect - except for the misty Marshlands to the north, which, according to legend, were home to the monstrous Ickabog. Anyone sensible knew that the Ickabog was just a myth to scare children into behaving. But the funny thing about myths is that sometimes they take on a life of their own.
-
-
Oh, dear...
- By ili pika on 11-11-20
By: J.K. Rowling
-
The Christmas Pig
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Amaka Okafor, Rocco Padden, Gerran Howell, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jack loves his childhood toy Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad. Until one Christmas Eve something terrible happens - DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life...even toys. And Jack’s newest toy - the Christmas Pig (DP’s annoying replacement) - has a daring plan: Together they’ll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost and to save the best friend Jack has ever known....
-
-
More Scary & Violent Than "Heartwarming Adventure"
- By Bookworm on 10-19-21
By: J.K. Rowling
-
The Secret Garden
- By: Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Narrated by: Carrie Hope Fletcher
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mary Lennox starts her life as an unhappy victim of circumstance. After the loss of her parents, she moves to rural Yorkshire to live with a distant uncle where she resents the wildness of the countryside. At first, she struggles to find a place in this new existence. Although unsure about her surroundings and its occupants, through the gentle guidance of the maid she gradually becomes interested in the story of Mrs Craven, who apparently used to spend her time in a garden at the house, the key to which has vanished.
-
-
Fabulous
- By Lady Lightning on 05-19-20
-
Disney Frozen: Olaf's Quest
- By: Disney Press, Suzanne Francis
- Narrated by: Jake Green, Matt Lowe, Abby Trott, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Olaf, Arendelle’s adorable snowman, loves to read. One day, an unexpected message leads Olaf and his friends Anna, Kristoff, and Sven on a quest for a place known as Haus Biblio, described as a “sea of stories”. This Audible Original spans the group’s journey to Haus Biblio as they cross over mountains, search for monsters under bridges, and have conversations with friendly sheep. During his travels, Olaf makes new friends and hears lots of exciting stories along the way.
-
-
Wonderfully told
- By R and L on 09-22-24
By: Disney Press, and others
-
Star Wars: Convergence (The High Republic)
- By: Zoraida Córdova
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is an age of exploration. Jedi travel the galaxy, expanding their understanding of the Force and all the worlds and beings connected by it. Meanwhile, the Republic, led by its two chancellors, works to unite worlds in an ever-growing community among near and distant stars. On the close-orbiting planets of Eiram and E’ronoh, the growing pains of a galaxy with limited resources but unlimited ambition are felt keenly. The two worlds’ hatred for each other has fueled half a decade of escalating conflict and now threatens to consume surrounding systems.
-
-
Was Skeptical at first…boy was I wrong!
- By Justin Steele on 12-12-22
By: Zoraida Córdova
-
Disney Mickey & Friends: Escape from Noskape
- By: Disney Press, Nick Murphy, Paul Ritchey
- Narrated by: Tony Anselmo, Bill Farmer, Bret Iwan, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy are excited to attend the event of the year! Dr. Emu Noskape has invited all of Mouseton to witness the unveiling of her newest terrifically technical invention. But when the day takes an unexpected turn, Mickey and friends find themselves trapped inside Dr. Noskape’s mansion—which she’s launching to the moon! Will they escape the maze of a mansion before it blasts off, or are they doomed to live on the moon forever?
-
-
Immersive Storytelling - Great Sound Design
- By BadgerBooks on 01-10-25
By: Disney Press, and others
-
The Ickabog
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The kingdom of Cornucopia was once the happiest in the world. It had plenty of gold, a king with the finest moustache you could possibly imagine, and butchers, bakers, and cheesemongers whose exquisite foods made a person dance with delight when they ate them. Everything was perfect - except for the misty Marshlands to the north, which, according to legend, were home to the monstrous Ickabog. Anyone sensible knew that the Ickabog was just a myth to scare children into behaving. But the funny thing about myths is that sometimes they take on a life of their own.
-
-
Oh, dear...
- By ili pika on 11-11-20
By: J.K. Rowling
-
The Christmas Pig
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Amaka Okafor, Rocco Padden, Gerran Howell, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jack loves his childhood toy Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad. Until one Christmas Eve something terrible happens - DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life...even toys. And Jack’s newest toy - the Christmas Pig (DP’s annoying replacement) - has a daring plan: Together they’ll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost and to save the best friend Jack has ever known....
-
-
More Scary & Violent Than "Heartwarming Adventure"
- By Bookworm on 10-19-21
By: J.K. Rowling
-
The Secret Garden
- By: Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Narrated by: Carrie Hope Fletcher
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mary Lennox starts her life as an unhappy victim of circumstance. After the loss of her parents, she moves to rural Yorkshire to live with a distant uncle where she resents the wildness of the countryside. At first, she struggles to find a place in this new existence. Although unsure about her surroundings and its occupants, through the gentle guidance of the maid she gradually becomes interested in the story of Mrs Craven, who apparently used to spend her time in a garden at the house, the key to which has vanished.
-
-
Fabulous
- By Lady Lightning on 05-19-20
-
Disney Frozen: Olaf's Quest
- By: Disney Press, Suzanne Francis
- Narrated by: Jake Green, Matt Lowe, Abby Trott, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Olaf, Arendelle’s adorable snowman, loves to read. One day, an unexpected message leads Olaf and his friends Anna, Kristoff, and Sven on a quest for a place known as Haus Biblio, described as a “sea of stories”. This Audible Original spans the group’s journey to Haus Biblio as they cross over mountains, search for monsters under bridges, and have conversations with friendly sheep. During his travels, Olaf makes new friends and hears lots of exciting stories along the way.
-
-
Wonderfully told
- By R and L on 09-22-24
By: Disney Press, and others
-
Star Wars: Convergence (The High Republic)
- By: Zoraida Córdova
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is an age of exploration. Jedi travel the galaxy, expanding their understanding of the Force and all the worlds and beings connected by it. Meanwhile, the Republic, led by its two chancellors, works to unite worlds in an ever-growing community among near and distant stars. On the close-orbiting planets of Eiram and E’ronoh, the growing pains of a galaxy with limited resources but unlimited ambition are felt keenly. The two worlds’ hatred for each other has fueled half a decade of escalating conflict and now threatens to consume surrounding systems.
-
-
Was Skeptical at first…boy was I wrong!
- By Justin Steele on 12-12-22
By: Zoraida Córdova
-
Disney Mickey & Friends: Escape from Noskape
- By: Disney Press, Nick Murphy, Paul Ritchey
- Narrated by: Tony Anselmo, Bill Farmer, Bret Iwan, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy are excited to attend the event of the year! Dr. Emu Noskape has invited all of Mouseton to witness the unveiling of her newest terrifically technical invention. But when the day takes an unexpected turn, Mickey and friends find themselves trapped inside Dr. Noskape’s mansion—which she’s launching to the moon! Will they escape the maze of a mansion before it blasts off, or are they doomed to live on the moon forever?
-
-
Immersive Storytelling - Great Sound Design
- By BadgerBooks on 01-10-25
By: Disney Press, and others