Podcast Interview with Andrea Brunais

In this episode of Trustees Without Borders, author Andrea Brunais reflects on her new book, Hillbilly Drug Baby: The Story, a nonfiction account of the relationship that she and her husband, Hal, built with a young man named Jesse-Ray who had aged out of foster care and was struggling with substance use disorder. As Andrea and Hal learned more about Jesse-Ray’s abusive past, they served as mentors and friends hoping to cultivate his writing talents and support his recovery. Such a task proved challenging, and Andrea reflects on the experience and key insights gained.

Andrea Brunais is the Director of Communications for the Office of Outreach and International Affairs at Virginia Tech. She is also an award-winning author and editor with freelance work published in outlets such as the Christian Science Monitor, TravelPulse.com, DuPont Registry, and Appalachian Voice. Her most recent book is Hillbilly Drug Baby: The Story, chronicling the relationship that she and her husband, Hal, developed with a 19-year-old named Jesse-Ray who stayed in their “safe house” for about 6 months.

Interviewers: Lara Nagle, Community-Based Learning Projects Manager, and Laura Nelson, Ph.D. Candidate in Human Development and Family Science, both with the Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance