MADISON, Wisconsin – Kristina Amelong’s powerful memoir, “What My Brother Knew” (She Writes Press, May 27, 2025) begins with a chilling prophecy — her brother Jay’s precise prediction of his own tragic death — and unfolds into a profound exploration of grief, healing, self-discovery and spiritual awakening.
As a boy, Jay Amelong predicted the accident that caused his death, down to the color of the car that hit him. “I will die young, while riding my bike,” he told friends and family repeatedly. “It won’t be much longer, I want you to be prepared.” These were baffling words to hear from the mouth of a content 13-year-old — but when Kristina Amelong was only 17, her brother’s tragic death unfolded exactly as he said it would, radically changing her life.
Propelled down a self-destructive path of drug addiction and reckless sex, Kristina spent much of her young adult years wanting to die. Once or twice she came close. Always, Jay’s bizarre story and his inexplicable acceptance of his own death lived in her body.
More than 30 years after losing Jay, Kristina embarks on a journey of discovery, seeking truth about herself, her brother, and the universe. The result of her investigation is a memoir that defies belief. Charting a life path from loss and abuse to healing and spiritual awakening, “What My Brother Knew” demonstrates the transformative power of facing the mystery of death head-on and our incredible ability, as humans, to do just that.
“What My Brother Knew”
Kristina Amelong | May 27, 2025 | She Writes Press | Memoir
Paperback | ISBN: 9781647429089 | $17.99
About The Author
Kristina Amelong lives on the east side of Madison, Wisconsin, just a few miles from where she grew up. From a working-class childhood filled with abuse, addiction and loss, she has overcome addiction and chronic illness, raised four children, and founded a successful holistic health business, Optimal Health Network. She’s developed natural protocols which have helped thousands heal from a wide range of digestive and other chronic issues. She is the author of “What My Brother Knew” (She Writes Press, May 27, 2025), an emotional, eye-opening memoir about her journey from loss and abuse to healing and spiritual awakening. Her first book was “Ten Days to Optimal Health: A Guide to Nutritional Therapy and Colon Cleansing.”
Kristina is a senior board member for the Center for World Philosophy and Religion, a non-profit organization dedicated to a reweaving of the human story that will guide humanity through the current evolutionary crisis. She has a passion for photography, gardening, backyard chicken raising, and pickleball. She has three dogs and three grand-dogs that she walks on frozen lakes every winter. Find out more about her at www.kristinaamelong.com.
Follow Kristina Amelong on social media:
Facebook: @kristina.amelong | Instagram: @optimalhealthnetwork
Early Praise for Kristina Amelong
“Amelong writes from the heart and has a gift for arresting imagery…A sincere and valiant attempt to understand the unfathomable.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“This is a searing memoir about a sister’s love for a younger brother who was brutally struck on a BMX bicycle by a green car that drug him to his death. Jay repeatedly described the event beforehand, likely because of an LSD opening, even asked that “Stairway to Heaven” be played at his funeral. The story explored in these pages made me weep. We are totally messed up . . . and we are perfect.”
— Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of “How to Think Impossibly: About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and Everything Else”
“Tormented by grief and haunted by her brother’s chilling prophecy of his own death, Kristina Amelong stumbles along a dangerous path to addiction and self-destruction until she sets out on a journey to unravel the mystery of his uncanny foresight. Her relentless search for truth ultimately leads to her own healing and profound spiritual awakening. What My Brother Knew is a beautifully written, spellbinding memoir.”
– Judy Reeves, author of “When Your Heart Says Go”
In an interview, Kristina Amelong can discuss:
- The Mystery of Jay’s Premonition – Her brother had a magnetic energy and wisdom beyond his years, deeply connecting with people and the world around him.
- Death as a Teacher – Jay’s passing unraveled and rewove Kristina’s understanding of life, death, and the unexplained, leading her to explore deeper philosophical and spiritual concepts.
- Reconnecting Through Shared Grief – Revisiting Jay’s life with those who knew him brought healing and allowed Kristina to see him through a broader lens, reminding us of the shared and evolving nature of grief.
- Signs and Synchronicities – Kristina believes in signs as meaningful messages from the universe, guiding growth and understanding.
- Nature as a Healing Force – Nature played a central role in Kristina’s spiritual awakening, offering solace and a mirror for her healing process. She encourages others to find comfort in nature’s cycles.
- Self-Love and Compassion in Healing – Kristina’s memoir serves as a love letter to her younger self, underscoring the importance of self-compassion as the foundation for healing from trauma and loss.
- Navigating Doubt on the Spiritual Path – Kristina openly shares moments of reluctance and frustration, offering practices and insights that helped her stay motivated on her spiritual journey.
- Beliefs About What Comes After Death – Kristina sees consciousness as continuing in some form, woven into the universe’s fabric, and encourages embracing awe and discovery in the face of the unknown.
- Unanswered Questions and Embracing Mystery – While questions about Jay’s life and death linger, Kristina finds peace in the mystery and uses it to connect with the deeper meaning of existence.
- Personal Growth Through Writing – Writing her book was a transformative journey for Kristina, allowing her to share Jay’s story with the world, and in doing so, achieve deeper healing.
An Interview with Kristina Amelong
First, can you tell us about your brother, Jay? What kind of kid was he, and what was your relationship like with him?
Jay was extraordinary. Even as a child, he had magnetic, wise-beyond-his-years energy that could draw you in. He was curious, creative, and had an unusual ability to connect deeply with the people and world around him. We were close in the way siblings often are—sharing secrets, squabbling, and building dreams together—but there was also a reverence I held for him. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but Jay had a clarity about life and death that was rare, almost otherworldly.
Jay had a stunningly accurate prediction of his own death – he said a green car would hit him while riding his bike. Do you remember the moment you made the connection that what he had foreseen had actually unfolded? Did others believe you when you spoke about Jay’s premonition?
The moment it happened was surreal. I didn’t just make the connection—it slammed into me like a wave. I remember the details, how eerily they matched what Jay had said. It was both devastating and bizarrely affirming, as if he had known something none of us could comprehend. At first, I hesitated to talk about it—the idea of a 13-year-old predicting his death is still hard to grasp. When I finally did, people had mixed reactions. Some believed me, while others thought it was just grief playing tricks with my memory.
How did this prediction — and Jay’s passing — shape your understanding of life, death and the unexplained? How did it impact your philosophical and spiritual beliefs?
It completely unraveled and rewove my understanding of existence. Jay’s premonition forced me to question everything I thought I knew about reality, time, and consciousness. Over time, it pushed me toward exploring philosophies like Donald Hoffman’s theory of Conscious Realism, quantum physics, and the concept of a cosmic tapestry where everything is interconnected. It also deepened my appreciation for the mystery of life and death—how they aren’t opposites but intertwined aspects of the same infinite process.
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