Award winning author Shannon Brown
Award winning author Shannon Brown

J Hirtle The Last Storyteller

Shannon Brown talks with J Hirtle about "Because of Jane", her memoir of childhood abuse told through a doll’s voice, and how writing it supported her healing and other survivors. The episode blends difficult truths with warm childhood memories, creative storytelling choices, and a look at her ongoing advocacy and future projects.

InspiringHealingHonestSupportiveEncouraging

29:22•30 Oct 2026

RSS Feed

Shannon Brown and the Doll Who Helped Her Survive

Episode Overview

A childhood doll, Jane, becomes the narrator of Shannon’s memoir, offering emotional distance while still conveying the reality of abuse.
Writing began as therapeutic homework and evolved into a full book that helped Shannon close a difficult chapter and recognise her own strength.
The story intentionally includes joyful memories and loving relationships, showing that trauma can coexist with genuine care and happy moments.
Shannon highlights how common guilt and shame are for survivors and stresses the importance of unlearning self‑blame.
Projects like the Jane Project and her advocacy work aim to help other survivors feel less alone and share the objects, songs or stories that helped them cope.

“"I learned that storytelling can be extremely powerful, especially in a survivor community, because it helps people feel less alone."”

What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? This conversation between poet-host J Hirtle and award-winning author Shannon Brown centres on her memoir, "Because of Jane", a childhood survival story told through the eyes of a doll. You’ll hear how Jane, a simple Christmas gift from Shannon’s beloved grandfather "Papa", became "a beacon of strength" and a kind of living diary for a little girl growing up amid domestic violence and abuse.

Shannon explains how giving the doll a voice – using personification to let Jane narrate the events – offered a gentle buffer for readers tackling such tough subject matter, while still keeping the emotional truth intact. Shannon talks about starting the book on the advice of her therapist, initially just "to write down my thoughts" while working through repressed childhood memories.

Turning those notes into a full memoir meant revisiting trauma, dealing with nervous system reactions, and, perhaps hardest of all, telling her mum the full story before publication. As she puts it, getting it on paper felt like "closing a really, really hard chapter" and helped her recognise that she’s "a very strong person" and that children can be "very, very resilient". The chat isn’t all heavy, though.

J Hirtle highlights the warmth in the book – sledging scenes, holiday moments, singing along to mixtapes – and Shannon even treats listeners to an a cappella rendition of "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid, tying back to the comforting stories and sounds that helped her cope as a child.

Shannon also mentions a forthcoming sequel about her teenage years and shares her passion for advocacy, community, and creative projects like the Jane Project, where survivors reflect on their own "Jane" – whether an object, song or story that helped them endure. If you’ve ever wondered how storytelling can help heal childhood trauma while offering hope to others, this episode might be the nudge to pick up "Because of Jane" and reflect on your own sources of strength.

PreviousFishing and Faith