'In Other Words, Leadership' chronicles a year of letters between Maine's governor and...

Maine Gov. Janet Mills had been in office only a year when the pandemic struck. Recently widowed and isolated alone in her mansion, she was a lightning rod for criticism as she enacted closures and touted vaccines.

Amid the chaos, a mother named Shirah Knapp sent her a letter of support — and continued to do so weekly for more than a year. And the governor wrote back.

The pen pal relationship is detailed in journalist Shannon Mullen's book “In Other Words, Leadership: How a Young Mother’s Weekly Letters to Her Governor Helped Both Women Brave the First Pandemic Year.” It's as much a lesson in civics as it is civility in a time of turmoil.

All three women join host Robin Young.