The Heart Folds Early

The Heart Folds Early

From The Facing Project by Indiana Public Radio

March 28, 2026 · 60 min · Season 8 · Episode 3

About this episode

J.R. Jamison interviews Jill Christman about her memoir exploring transformation through tragedy and the complexities of loss.

J.R. Jamison is joined by author and educator Jill Christman to discuss her new memoir, The Heart Folds Early , a story of transformation through tragedy, and an examination of the ways in which great loss can make us simultaneously fearful and intrepid. Emerging from a childhood that included both devastating sexual abuse and the sustaining joy of being deeply (if imperfectly) loved, Jill Christman’s sights were set on building and protecting her own happy family—until her fiancé was killed in a car accident. In The Heart Folds Early, Christman examines the mournful recklessness of the young widow she was against the backdrop of her later marriage and new motherhood, including the choice to end a half-term pregnancy when a routine ultrasound revealed her baby boy had just half a heart. Courageous, clear-eyed, tender, and unexpectedly funny, Christman reflects on her life and asks: What happens when we’re afraid the worst thing will happen and then, sometimes, it does? And how do we carry life and death in our bodies and survive with our hearts intact?

People in this episode

Host: J.R. Jamison

Guest: Jill Christman

Topics covered

  • transformation
  • tragedy
  • loss
  • motherhood
  • grief
  • resilience

Keywords

  • memoir
  • transformation
  • tragedy
  • loss
  • motherhood
  • grief
  • Jill Christman
  • The Heart Folds Early

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Heart Folds Early

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