Family Secrets
265 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 4.7K ratingsFamily Secrets. We all have them. And while the discovery of family secrets can initially be terrifying or traumatic, often these discoveries have the power to liberate, heal, and even uplift us. Join Dani Shapiro, bestselling author of the memoir Inheritance, and her guests as they explore astonishing family secrets and uncover the extraordinary lessons the truth can teach us.
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Episodes
A Message from Dani
March 14, 2024 07:00 - 6 minutes - 5.88 MBSeason 10 will launch in June; in the meantime, here’s an update on all things Family Secrets, some of which hit quite close to home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Virtuosic Patient
January 11, 2024 08:00 - 52 minutes - 48.6 MBAlice’s upbringing is one of simultaneous excess and absence, and in the deep canyon between the two, she loses herself entirely. In order to finally find herself and heal, she must confront the complicated truths and lies told by her artist parents. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An Answer to the Offness
January 04, 2024 08:00 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBMaggie made a life for herself as a successful poet, wife, and proud mother of two. But after years of marriage, she sensed something to be terribly off. When her intuition led to a painful discovery, she could finally claim her truth and grow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You Belong to the Mystery
December 28, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 61.3 MBHer paternity. Her health. Her very self. For many years, these are all mysteries to Kimberly. As she reckons with this myriad of unknowns, she learns more than she ever expected to know. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Self I Could Have Been
December 21, 2023 08:00 - 30 minutes - 28 MBIn his journey toward self-discovery, Shane must reconstruct his past by cobbling together memories of his kidnapping, upbringing, and the enormous swell of questions which once defined his identity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This Was All Supposed to be Secret
December 14, 2023 08:00 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBSusan takes great lengths and risks to get answers about her biological family. But sometimes, in the world of family secrets, these kinds of answers beget more questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As Bad As a Lie
December 07, 2023 08:00 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBBrittany’s early life is defined by the road; she and her mom are vagabonds of sorts, never settling for too long in one place. But at least they have each other. That is, until they don’t. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sail On
November 30, 2023 08:00 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBWhen Sarah is a young child, her parents vanish at sea. They are never found. How does she mourn what she cannot remember? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Because of William
November 23, 2023 08:00 - 53 minutes - 49.5 MBDaniel grows up idolizing William, his friend and future brother-in-law. William is adventurous, effervescent and inspiring. But William has other attributes, too—secrets locked inside himself and when they come out, Daniel’s world unravels. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Holiday Message from Dani
November 22, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 3.68 MBHappy Thanksgiving to our Family Secrets family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Long the Dying Went On
November 16, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBIt started with a wreck – a car accident steeped in the history of Cassandra’s family. When she learns about the accident and the secrets it bore, she can at last begin to understand who she is, and who she will become. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hall of Mirrors
November 09, 2023 08:00 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBNobody thinks they’re joining a cult. Certainly not the children who are born into it. When, over time, Mikel learns the truths about his childhood, a whole world of information can finally crystalize. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Family Secrets: Season 9 Trailer
November 02, 2023 07:00 - 2 minutes - 2.47 MBJoin us on November 9th for new stories of resilience, memory, and the way in which long-held family secrets so often need out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus: A Conversation with Dr. Ruth Faden
October 19, 2023 07:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBToday’s Great Minds bonus episode features scholar of bioethics and founder of The John Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Dr. Ruth Faden. She and Dani take a deep dive into the thematic waters of a powerful family secrets story from our second season. Take a listen to 'The Loving Choice' here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Prepare for Our Next Great Mind!
October 12, 2023 21:48 - 2 minutes - 1.89 MBTune in next week for our next Great Minds bonus conversation with renowned scientist, academic, and founder of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Ruth Faden. We’ll be speaking about an unforgettable family secrets story from our second season. Take a listen to that episode in advance here! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus: A Conversation with Kris Carr
October 05, 2023 07:00 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBFor this week’s Great Minds bonus episode, Dani sits down with bestselling author Kris Carr to explore the moving themes and meanings woven into a Family Secrets story from Season 6. Listen to Trent Preszler’s episode, ’Taxidermied Duck’ here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Get Ready for Another Great Minds Conversation!
September 28, 2023 07:00 - 1 minute - 1.83 MBNext week’s bonus conversation is with bestselling author and wellness leader, Kris Carr. We’ll be unpacking a moving and memorable Family Secrets episode from Season 6. Take a listen to that episode in advance! Listen to Trent Preszler’s episode, 'Taxidermied Duck' here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus: A Conversation with Dr. Mark Epstein
September 21, 2023 07:00 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBAs part of this special bonus series, Dani and great mind Dr. Mark Epstein explore the powerful themes that underscore a memorable Family Secrets story from our third season. Listen to David Kacyznski's episode, 'What's Wrong With Teddy?' here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Get Ahead of Our Next Conversation with Great Minds!
September 14, 2023 07:00 - 1 minute - 1.83 MBNext week’s bonus conversation is with one of our favorite writers and thinkers, about an unusual and unforgettable Family Secrets episode. Listeners are encouraged to revisit the past episode in advance! Listen to David Kacyznski's episode, 'What's Wrong With Teddy?' here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus: A New Conversation with Dr. Galit Atlas
September 07, 2023 07:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBIn the first episode of this special bonus series, Dani and great mind Dr. Galit Atlas unpack the themes presented in a memorable Family Secrets story from our third season. Listen to Adam Frankel's episode, 'Bubbe and Zayde and Grandma and Pa' here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Exciting News!
August 31, 2023 16:10 - 1 minute - 1.49 MBDani announces a new bonus series of conversations with great minds coming soon! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus: A New Conversation with Jennifer Senior
August 17, 2023 15:01 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBIn this bonus episode, Dani sits down with Pulitzer Prize Winning Writer Jennifer Senior about her latest cover story in The Atlantic - ‘Those We Sent Away’ - which explores her own family secret. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You Can Run
July 06, 2023 06:17 - 32 minutes - 30 MBIn the second part of this inspiring two-part episode, writer and musician Jessica Willis Fisher finishes her powerful story of survival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Total Depravity
June 29, 2023 10:00 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBIn the first part of this harrowing two-part episode, writer and musician Jessica Willis Fisher courageously speaks the unspeakable truths of the abuse she faced at the hands of her father. But this is just the beginning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Daddy Will Never Read Vogue
June 22, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 62.6 MBFrom the outside, Priscilla’s family life looks dazzling. Her parents are both revered in the literary community and she and her sister grow up in an artistic home. But things change when their parents decide to do something they said they never would: they divorce. After this, their father’s hidden life begins to rise to the surface. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The 11:11 Wish
June 15, 2023 14:55 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MBKyleigh and her older sister Kait couldn’t be closer. They lean on one another all throughout childhood. But at a certain point, Kait’s mental health begins to fray and with it, so does Kyleigh’s grip on her relationship with her beloved sister. When Kait disappears, Kyleigh is left to grapple with incredible loss and the painful reality of questions that can never be answered. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
World Class Liars
June 08, 2023 09:00 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBLetty’s life is laced with “shanda”—the Yiddish word for shame or disgrace. And the shanda is not hers alone; it stretches back and through many generations of suppression, secrecy, and the enormous heft of overcoming stigma and breaking the cycle for once and for all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Letter of Extenuating Circumstances
June 01, 2023 10:00 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBEmi is a brilliant child caught in the storms of the adults around her. As such, her own troubles begin to brew and her secrets compound. From foster care to homelessness to an Ivy League education and robust career, Emi’s trajectory is an extraordinary lesson in what is possible when resilience wins the day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Are You Weird in the World?
May 25, 2023 10:00 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBAllison knows something is fundamentally different about her. She looks different and she feels different from the other girls in school. But when her parents refuse to acknowledge just how different she is, it becomes harder and harder for her to reckon with who she is, and who she wants to become. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
May 18, 2023 10:00 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBForever punctuated by shame, secrecy, and danger, Isaac's search to know himself has always been a precarious journey. But as he walks the rocky road toward self-acceptance, he must reconcile his need to be both strong and vulnerable. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Family Business
May 11, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes - 31 MBFrom a very young age, Sophia is taught to deflect when people ask questions. Her parents teach her this lesson, and they tell her to keep a low profile as an American living abroad. When she finds a letter she’s not supposed to read, she learns what her parents do for a living – and that changes everything. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Telenovela
May 04, 2023 10:00 - 52 minutes - 47.9 MBGrowing up among conflicting cultures and customs, Carmen feels a profound sense of otherness. When her mother reveals their family secret, Carmen’s conflicts deepen and the puzzle pieces of her identity scatter before eventually— they finally snap into place. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Family Secrets: Season 8 Trailer
April 27, 2023 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3 MBJoin us starting May 4th for 10 new stories of tenacity, resilience, and the profoundly necessary excavation of long-held family secrets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus: Dani's Family Secret
April 20, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBIn this special bonus episode, the tables are turned as veteran journalist and podcast host Kimi Culp interviews Dani about her own family history and the secret at its core. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus: The Secrets Hotline
March 30, 2023 10:00 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBStories from our friends at The Secrets Hotline Podcast, hosted by Nick van der Kolk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In Conversation with Dr. Gabor Maté
March 16, 2023 10:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBIn this bonus episode, Dani speaks with renowned physician and author Dr. Gabor Maté about his new book,The Myth of Normal, and the ways in which we can begin to heal from our wounds and traumas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus: Dani's Listening, Episode 8
February 23, 2023 11:00 - 7 minutes - 6.92 MBIn this bonus series, “Dani’s Listening”, Dani connects with listeners by responding to those who’ve called in to share their family secrets. Mark your calendars for the launch of season 8 on May 4th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus: Dani's Listening, Episode 7
January 19, 2023 14:00 - 7 minutes - 6.8 MBIn this bonus series, “Dani’s Listening”, Dani connects with listeners by responding to those who’ve called in to share their family secrets. Mark your calendars for the launch of season 8 on May 4th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thanksgiving Message from Dani
November 24, 2022 11:00 - 2 minutes - 2.67 MBDani shares a message this Thanksgiving with the Family Secrets community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Trastiendas
November 03, 2022 10:00 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBWhen Judy receives a thick envelope from her father—presumably including answers to long kept secrets about his identity and past—he instructs her to burn it before opening. Despite her plaguing curiosity, she follows her father’s wishes. But later in her life, she seeks answers. What was in that envelope? And who was her father, really? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Prisoner of History
October 27, 2022 10:00 - 41 minutes - 38.5 MBAs Tad reckons with the choices he’s made in his relationships—most prominently, in his marriage—he must confront the choices made by his father, too. And his grandmother. In uncovering staggering truths, he finds his own struggles with intimacy are part of a long string of inherited secrecy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Special Episode from our friends at All the Wiser Podcast
October 24, 2022 19:03 - 1 hour - 70.2 MBMeyli Chapin shares her story and discusses PTSD with host Kimi Culp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Palais de Triomphe
October 20, 2022 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MBFraidy is raised in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community where she is forced to follow many conventions including an arranged marriage in her teens. After enduring emotional and physical abuse, Fraidy is determined to figure out a way to save herself, her children, and many, many others. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Going There
October 13, 2022 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44.5 MBWe all know—or think we know—the wonderful journalist, news anchor, and bestselling author, Katie Couric. But behind and beyond her camera-ready exterior is the interior world of a very real individual— a daughter, sister, wife, and mother navigating the complexities of a public life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Depression Book
October 06, 2022 10:00 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBAfter Mark’s divorce, he cannot eat or sleep or function. Hesitant to pathologize these feelings, he finally acknowledges the clinical magnitude of his condition. But even after accepting that he’s suffering from depression, he keeps it under wraps; he runs a residential treatment center for homeless teens where he feels he must keep up appearances. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Exclusive: An Audio Preview of Dani's Forthcoming Novel!
October 03, 2022 13:25 - 9 minutes - 9.16 MBThe opening chapter of SIGNAL FIRES is shared here, in Dani's voice, for the very first time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Somebody’s Daughter
September 29, 2022 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBAshley’s father is imprisoned when she’s eight months old. She has no real context for him until she visits him for the first time, when she’s seven. They forge as best a relationship they can, writing letters, and talking on the phone. It’s not until she’s fourteen when she discovers why he’s in jail. What she learns is shattering and confirms to her that the world is not always a safe place. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Best Family Ever
September 22, 2022 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBFrom a harrowing, unstable childhood, Venus perseveres and creates an ideal life for herself—with an exuberant husband and a gaggle of amazing kids. But harrowing returns for her when she learns the dark truths—and lies—about her husband. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Destroyed Palace
September 15, 2022 10:00 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBGrowing up, Rich doesn’t know much about his family, save for the singular fact that his mother came to the US from Haiti when she was thirteen. But in 2010, when the worst recorded earthquake in the Western hemisphere’s history hits Haiti, Rich is met with a series of life-altering discoveries about his family’s past. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The World of Dogs
September 08, 2022 10:00 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MBChloe is an only child, but she’s not entirely alone. She has dogs. Meaningful, magical, ever-supportive dogs. With reserved parents and a habit of hiding her feelings, Chloe retreats deeply into her canine world, and the search to find herself, and free herself, takes years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.