When Fox News anchor Shannon Bream graduated from North Florida Christian School in 1988, she knew she was headed in one of two directions.
“I say this jokingly, but my dad said, ‘You can go to medical school or law school, so pick one,’” she said.
Bream picked law. After earning a business degree from Liberty University, she returned home to attend law school at Florida State. She graduated with honors and practiced at a firm in Tampa for a few years. But it wasn’t long before her own interests began to assert themselves.
25 Women:30 strong in Tallahassee: Meet the 25 Women, 5 Young Women to Watch for 2022
Days of Dance:‘Inspired by the diversity’: FSU’s Days of Dance returns with eclectic, reflective concert
McKibben:Find your own purpose and make a difference by volunteering | McKibben
“My gut was always in journalism and current events,” she said. “I’m definitely a news junkie.”
So Bream made the switch to broadcast journalism, working at a number of local news organizations that took her on “a weird, circuitous route” from Florida to North Carolina to Washington, D.C. There, she met Brit Hume, who anchored Fox News Special Report and ran the network’s DC bureau, at an event where Hume was speaking.
“I struck up a conversation with him; he eventually found out I was a lawyer, and they needed someone to cover the Supreme Court,” Bream said. “Because of Brit, I got my foot in the door at Fox and have been there for 15 years.”
Today, Bream covers the Supreme Court for Fox News Channel, anchors the midnight show Fox News @ Night, and hosts the Livin’ the Bream podcast on Fox News Radio. Her bestselling memoir, “Finding the Bright Side,” was published in May 2019.
Not long afterward, Fox News Books came to Bream with an idea for a different kind of book project. This one wouldn’t be about her journalism career, the Supreme Court, or current events at all. This book would spring from a deeper well: her Christian faith.
“They said, ‘We want to put something together that highlights the stories of the women in the Bible,’ and I immediately jumped in,” she said.
When “The Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today,” was released in March 2021, it shot up the New York Times bestseller list, remaining in the #1 spot for five weeks and spending 15 weeks total on the list. Bream began hearing from readers “literally all over the world,” telling her of the book’s impact on them.
“I think that people have enjoyed seeing that these women are not footnotes in the Bible,” she said. “These women were important—whether as part of Christ’s lineage, or part of Christ’s ministry, or part of Old Testament stories that lay the foundations of the faith.”
The second book in the series, “The Mothers and Daughters of the Bible Speak: Lessons on Faith from Nine Biblical Families,” was released March 29. In it, Bream explores the stories of biblical mother-daughter pairs, mother-son pairs, and father-daughter pairs.
When it comes to her own faith, Bream credits her mother with being her spiritual mentor. Her mom rose early each morning to pray, Bream said, and made a habit of going out of her way for others — even inviting home strangers she met at Publix to share a meal with the family.
“She’d bring someone home to sit at our table and I’d say, ‘Um, what’s your name?’” Bream said, laughing. “She was just one of those people who reaches out to anyone she finds in need. So I had the very best example and I always say, I’m trying to catch up to her.”
Bream will return to Tallahassee on Sunday, April 24. She will speak and sign books at an event sponsored by Midtown Reader and hosted by City Church.
“Anytime I can get to the Panhandle, it’s a wonderful thing,” she said. “I’m excited to come back. It gives me a chance to see old friends and hopefully make some new ones, and to share the message of encouragement and inspiration in this book.”
If you go
What: Fox News anchor Shannon Bream speaks and signs her new book, “Mothers and Daughters of the Bible Speak.” Free and open to the public, with books available for purchase from Midtown Reader.
When: 2 p.m. Sunday, April 24
Where: City Church, 3215 Sessions Road
Details: Call Midtown Reader (850425-2665) or visit midtownreader.com
Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.
