The Tell

A Memoir

De: Amy Griffin

Narrado por: Amy Griffin

OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • An astonishing memoir that explores how far we will go to protect ourselves, and the healing made possible when we face our secrets and begin to share our stories.

“A beautiful account of the journey of courage it takes to face the truth of one’s past.”—Bessel van der Kolk, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Body Keeps the Score

For decades, Amy ran. Through the dirt roads of Amarillo, Texas, where she grew up; to the campus of the University of Virginia, as a student athlete; on the streets of New York, where she built her adult life; through marriage, motherhood, and a thriving career. To outsiders, it all looked, in many ways, perfect. But Amy was running from something—a secret she was keeping not only from her family and friends, but unconsciously from herself. “You’re here, but you’re not here,” her daughter said to her one night. “Where are you, Mom?” So began Amy’s quest to solve a mystery trapped in the deep recesses of her own memory—a journey that would take her into the burgeoning field of psychedelic therapy, to the limits of the judicial system, and ultimately, home to the Texas panhandle, where her story began.

In her search for the truth, to understand and begin to recover from buried childhood trauma, Griffin interrogates the pursuit of perfectionism, control, and maintaining appearances that drives so many women, asking, when, in our path from girlhood to womanhood, did we learn to look outside ourselves for validation? What kind of freedom is possible if we accept the whole story and embrace who we really are? With hope, heart, and relentless honesty, she points a way forward for all of us, revealing the power of radical truth-telling to deepen our connections—with others and ourselves.

©2025 Amy Griffin (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“The Tell is a beautiful account of the journey of courage it takes to face the truth of one’s past, and the beneficial role that a combination of skillful therapy and psychedelics can play in putting one’s life in order.”—Bessel van der Kolk, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Body Keeps the Score

“Transformative and illuminating . . . Through every agonizing revelation, Amy Griffin refuses to pave over her pain, opting instead to embrace the entirety of it. This is a powerful story of what can happen when self-compassion replaces fear as the governing force of one’s life.”—Chanel Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Know My Name

“The Tell is the most powerful memoir I’ve read in years. It’s the rare story that will liberate you from shame, empower you to stop cycles of abuse, and make it safer for you to tell the truth. It left me filled with hope.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again

Amazing book

So smart - and not gratuitous. Amy’s telling of her story was so real. So relatable. And so true. This book will help many survivors. Yes - you have to feel ALL of it to feel any of it. Well done. Recommending this book to all my people.

Healing

I connected with her feelings through her journey. My experience was generational trauma where we could not get to the place of talking about abuse because of societal norms. To hear about story where a family could come together to help each other was so healing for me.

Raw emotions!

Amy telling this personal story was incredible! I finished in one day, I don’t think I have cried so much listening to a book! She is brave and an inspiration!

Incredible

But this book is so moving and I don’t know how to give it the words it deserves. It reached the depths of my soul in a way that it will stay with me forever. Also, I grew up very independently but very loved and often wondered how I escaped abuse or if I had repressed something. I now know I was very lucky because this book would have brought it to the surface.

Profound personal story

Amy tells her moving story at a great pace and does excellent job reading it.

Very truthful, very raw, very well written

Amy does a great job bringing the reader in and telling her incredible story, as hard as it is to tell. Being from Texas and having visiting Amarillo many times, she describes it perfectly back in the day. Very proud of her for her hard work and dedication to getting her story out there in hopes she can prevent others from having to live through something similar. I love it that she read the audible too- made it so personable. I highly recommend!

Raw Emotional Telling

The Tell is the story of so many women who grew up in small towns. It was like the author had access to my brain and thoughts living through that same era in a small town. So many things I thought, felt, and experienced make so much more sense after reading The Tell. This book is not to be missed,

Narration begins flat but just wait

The authors interviews in person are so much better than her narration which begins “flat” but as the story unfolds so too does her voice as she begins to feel again.

Raw Truth

What an amazing story of real life, told so honestly by the author herself. Amy Griffin takes readers deep into her world, allowing us to understand why, to the outside world, she always appeared perfect. Yet beneath that polished exterior, she carried a secret—one that shaped her in ways no one could see.

Griffith’s storytelling is raw, powerful, and deeply moving. She doesn’t just tell her story; she makes you feel it. Her honesty and vulnerability draw you in, making you reflect on the complexities of appearances, personal struggles, and the masks people wear.

This book is more than just a memoir—it’s a testament to resilience, self-discovery, and the courage to share one’s truth. Thank you, Amy Griffin for opening up and allowing us to see beyond the surface.

power standing in your truth

Thank you for telling the world your story. You are incredibly courageous and a light for so many to come that read your story. Leading a life of people-pleasing and overcommitting, deeply resonates with my own experiences of striving to meet others’ expectations while quietly carrying the weight of past trauma.
I was silent for 33 years until I looked my 7 year old in the eyes and knew I had to protect him in the way I wasn’t. Body safety education for kids and caregivers is so important. My sister’s name is Amy and mine, Jeannine. Both growing up living silently with shared experiences.
Healing comes in layers and I wish you continued healing.
Last year, I started a portrait project to create conversations around CSA thankyoufortellingmethat.com