"I am fortunate to know the incredible depth of love and compassion that this woman, this author, this survivor, this creative genius Jia Apple embodies. |
"In Oft Made to Wonder, Jia Apple brings to light what has been hidden in the closets of many, told by few, of this generation. This rendition of a family system and it's dysfunction is done in the clear voice of a survivor exploring the depths and shadows of an abusive childhood and the resultant strengths achieved. A must read if only for a celebratory dance of the indomitable spirit of human love, understanding, and forgiveness." |
"Jia Apple has written an extraordinary first memoir, riveting and captivating. It is riveting because elements of religion, mental illness, deprivation and abuse are woven through a fabric studded with loyalty, love and hope. It is captivating because it is seen through the eyes of a 14- year-old girl using her intelligence, intuition and imagination to discern how to live in the world. This book will shock with its descriptions of "baked Apples" going through hell training, and will charm with humor. It will touch your heart; it is impossible to put down; it is a must-read." |
You need to meet Jia. The voice of this haunting memoir will have you sitting up, reading closely, and wanting to know more about her. Told from the perspective of Jia as a teenager, Oft Made to Wonder is the story of a large family in suburban Indianapolis in the late 70’s. Left to basically raise themselves, Jia and her 9 brothers and sisters have to deal with physical abuse, their mother's mental illness, and the family’s near poverty within the context and constraints of their rigid and ever-present religion. It is the mystical Jia who tries poignantly to make sense of it all, weaving a tapestry of visions and revelations through her unique lens of wonderment, able somehow to find good within the bad, hope within the despair, and optimism when she should have none. Jia the teenager introduces us to each of her siblings, explaining their place in birth order and the Zodiac, and assigning each of them a superpower, which she suspects each one will need in order to survive. She details her parents’ abuses and flaws but is equally confident in the evidence of their love. Anyone who has lived with a mentally ill loved one will resonate with Jia’s desire to understand the workings of the troubled mind and whether her own sanity might be in question. Caught between childhood and adulthood, Jia strives to find purpose in her existence, and the reader grows with her as she comes to learn more about what’s possible in the outside world. Jia is indeed “Oft Made to Wonder,” and we love her for it. The author alludes to where life has taken her in the years since she was a teenager, and one can only hope that Jia Apple has more of the story to tell. |
As a mental health therapist and a woman who married Jia's nephew, I so appreciate how Jia courageously put some of her stories of deep harm and beauty into words. Though I would offer a 'trigger warning' for anyone who has trauma in their histories, I think Jia's stories can be a beautiful resource for anyone wanting to feel less alone in their own healing and wrestling with the heart-breaking impact of all forms of abuse-- including spiritual abuse-- as well as poverty, neglect, and mental illness. I also think her book could be an invaluable resource for clinicians and anyone else wanting to grow their compassion and awareness for those who've survived hell on earth as Jia and her siblings did. |
Jia so aptly describes growing up in a home that didn't make sense and that was harmful to her younger self. But more than that, Jia shines while telling a story that offers the reader a vision of resilience through pain; physical, emotional and spiritual fear; and the ability to come out on the other side, maybe battered and bruised; but with a degree of insight and sanity that is unexpected following events such as those described in her book. I knew Jia when a lot of what she describes in her book happened. I had no idea what she lived through. She is a miracle of survival. All my respect and love to this author and friend. |
