Cooking Up Wit: The Making of “Yankee Doodle Soup”

Let’s face it: our lives during the pandemic were nothing short of chaotic. Seeking to raise spirits and provide eye-opening perspectives, author and public speaker Jenna McCarthy created Yankee Doodle Soup. In a style that parodies the familiar “Chicken Soup” franchise, McCarthy compiled—and even wrote some pieces for—a collection of personal, positive essays about life during the pandemic from authors across the country. Contributors include well-known doctors and scientists, an Emmy Award-winning former news anchor, a bridal gown designer, a whistleblower, a rock band, and more. The book tackles subjects from dating and homeschooling to “health boosting” and “freedom fighting”—in short, if it came up in conversation during COVID, it’s in this book. Upon submission, the essays were divided based on their content and tone into seven categories: witty, wise, warm, whimsical, wondrous, weighty, and wicked. 

The subtitle of Yankee Doodle Soup, “for the Fringy, Tin Foil Hat-Wearing Conspiracy Theorist’s Soul,” has certainly been an eye-catcher. Inspired by McCarthy’s experience at a weekend conference hosted by the FLCCC (Front Line Covid Critical Care) Alliance, this phrase aims to poke fun at phrases that are used to exclude and reject the people that McCarthy considers herself to be a part of—those who, in her words, questioned social distancing directives, stay-at-home orders, masks, mandates, and vaccines. 

“What began as an offhand comment became a physical book out in the world in just under four months—a feat that never would have happened without Jenkins Group,” McCarthy admits. 

Jenkins Group helped McCarthy with a website, registrations, and printing, and offered consulting advice on deciding how and where to sell the book in various formats, order fulfillment, and more. Their comprehensive support ensured that Yankee Doodle Soup not only came to life but also reached readers who might benefit from its unique and thought-provoking content. 

McCarthy reveals that the stories shared in this anthology “will undoubtedly be eye-opening for anyone who was getting all of their COVID information from mainstream media.” Are you up to the task of exploring new perspectives? Read Yankee Doodle Soup today!