There is this Tolstoy quote from Anna Karenina: “All Happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
I’ve always struggled with this binary.
This idea of happiness or unhappiness as somehow being fixed states. No nuance.
I think real families, ones outside Russian fiction, exist on a more complex spectrum.
All that really matters is that despite time and distance, families keep trying.
Our story this week is about family and a sisterly bond that spans time and distance.
Notes To A Sister by Anna Outridge
Sisters Anna and Jordyn are house-sitting for their parents for two weeks. This is the longest time they’ve spent together in ten years. As they inhabit the rooms once occupied by younger versions of themselves, they reflect on the memories they shared in this home, the things that brought them together, and the things that tried to pull them apart.
Producer: Anna Outridge
Co-producer: Jordyn Moore
Mentor and Supervising Producer: Jon Tjhia
Original score and composition: Kenneth King @kenny_king_music
This story was made possible by the Jesse Cox Audio Fellowship.
JCAF Credits
Our gratitude and thanks to the friends and family of Jesse Cox, and to everyone who made JCAF 2026 possible.
JCAF 2026 Fellows: Ramon Briant, Shareeka Helaluddin, Tessa Campisi and Anna Outridge
JCAF 2026 Mentors: Ian Walker, Farz Edraki, Liz Keen and Jon Tjhia
Workshop Facilitators: Janak Rogers, Belinda Lopez, Jon Tjhia, Camilla Hannan, Sophie Townsend, Mell Chun, Wing Kuang.
JCAF Program Facilitator: Mel Bakewell
Psst… if you have an impactful story to tell, apply now to our Jesse Cox Audio Fellowship!
All the Best Credits
Host: Gabriella Accaria
Executive Producer: Melanie Bakewell
Programming & Community Coordinator: Catarina Fraga Matos
Production Manager: Kwame Slusher
All The Best Intern: Nili Javid
Theme Music composed by Shining Bird
And a special shout-out to all our volunteers!