The Tell (Oprah's Book Club)

by Amy Griffin

But this tendency to defer to authority was deeply ingrained.

I was committed to my game face, no matter how uncomfortable it made me.

He was so forthright and so clear. I had never heard him share this truth publicly. I studied him, wondering why the party line had changed, and so dramatically. It was a reminder that multiple stories could be true at the same time, that we select our narratives in accordance with how honest we want to be and how honest we can be with ourselves.

Feeling so safe with someone can allow the recall of memories that were blocked out for so long. The fear, shame, and avoidance can all be relaxed, or even temporarily dissolved.”

“It’s not uncommon for women to begin remembering their trauma when their children reach the age when their abuse took place,”

“I had been keeping this a secret for so long. But you helped me see that I needed to face it. You helped me realize that I needed to be honest with myself.” My voice cracked. My heart was so full it was nearly unbearable—with love and gratitude for my daughter and for how she had brought me to this place.

“I know it’s a lot to ask of you. But I’m hoping that you can bear with me, as your mom, as I continue untangling all this. There are ways I have parented you that are about control, and perfectionism, that don’t serve either of us. And I’m sorry if you’ve ever felt any of that. But I’m realizing, more and more, that it’s the painful, messy, complicated things that we need to go through together. Those are the things that make up a life.”