Jae-Dee Survives the Home of Many Mothers
A Fictional Story Inspired by a Memoir
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Denise writes with searing honesty and ironic humour. Jae- Dee Survives the Home of Many Mothers takes the reader into the trauma of her early childhood experience of life at an Adelaide orphanage in the 1950’/1960’s. Vividly and skillfully told through a child’s eyes, this beautiful and tragic story of vulnerability, abuse and hope needs to be told, and everyone needs to read it. Dr Paul Williams Discipline Leader, Creative Writing University of the Sunshine Coast It has been a bittersweet privilege to be invited into the world of Jae Dee, a funny, cheeky and resilient child, who Survives the Home of Many Mothers. Torn between her love for her family and the hardships in an orphanage, Jae-Dee recounts the highs and lows of growing up. Her story provides candid insight into a child's mind and provides an avenue for all children to be heard. Look out for her next novella Jae Dee Survives Without her Paternal Mother. Friend and colleague, Michelle Humphreys (MPP, Creative Writing) I have just finished reading your book. It is a masterpiece of expressing unimaginable trauma as received and perceived by a child. The language used is expressive, creating imagery that is powerful and underpins the story. I liked the current day comments which added greater relevance to the situations. The fact you are the incredible woman you are today despite your very traumatic childhood is tantamount to your own personal resilience, courage and intelligence. You deserve to do very well with this book. I would suggest that it will have a wider appeal than the medical/caring arena as it would resonate with a lot of people who are unable to tell their own personal story. Bridget Brassey Denise’s reflections and remembrances of Jae Dee’s life in institutional care presents a deeply personal account of a childhood thwarted. The acute absence of any sense of ‘felt security’ in the years when Jae Dee needed that most stands out. Silencing of Jae Dee’s spontaneity along with emptiness felt during her formative years presents the reader with thoughtful dis-ease as the young life journey unfolds. Jae Dee’s outcome is evidence of a human capacity for resilience. As you said when we met, there is some tidying up to be done in terms of consistency of language and spelling. You did say you had a good editor on board to do the ‘polishing’ of those things. May this book (and the ones to follow) bring you even greater joy than you thought possible. Best wishes Dr Helen Wilson, Turnaround Expressive Therapies
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Jae-Dee is only three years old when she’s abandoned by her parents into an all-girls orphanage and raised by Catholic nuns. A curious, cheeky, intelligent, and sometimes defiant child, she’s forced to adapt to a life of abandonment, loss, and grief. In Jae-Dee Survives the Home of Many Mothers, she tells of her life experiences from the voice of her inner-child until she grows older and strong enough to express her life in a more mature and perceptively insightful manner. A fictional story inspired by real-life events, Jae-Dee shares her feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and chronic bed-wetting that stem from her abandonment, neglect, and abuse. Jae-Dee’s parents suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse as well as financial and social poverty. But when her parents relinquish her, Jae-Dee is raised by Sister Grace, a Catholic Sister of Mercy and surrogate mother from hell, whose hatred and inability to demonstrate compassion or nurturing toward her wards is strongly depicted in her strong and sadistic character. Jae-Dee calls attention to the effects of this childhood trauma, and she shares how she developed skills to overcome those challenges. In addition, Jae-Dee Survives the Home of Many Mothers captures the cultural history of post-war families and offers reflections of the South Australian social welfare system during the 1950s to mid-1960s. “Jae-Dee Collier writes with searing honesty and ironic humour. Jae- Dee Survives the Home of Many Mothers takes the reader into the trauma of her early childhood experience of life at an Adelaide orphanage in the 1950s and ’60s. Vividly and skillfully told through a child’s eyes, this beautiful and tragic story of vulnerability, abuse and hope needs to be told, and everyone needs to read it.” —Dr. Paul Williams, Program Leader, Creative Writing, University of the Sunshine Coast