Family Secrets
HowStuffWorks
Family 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.
Location:
United States
Description:
Family 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.
Language:
English
Episodes
It Feels Like Blood
7/3/2025
What does it mean to be a family of one? Steven examines his search for belonging in the wake of disappearance, loss, and profound mystery.
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Duration:00:43:57
The Rage Didn’t End Until the Mystery Did
6/26/2025
Marian’s body knows something her brain does not. It takes years before she finally has the language to define herself. To be herself.
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Duration:00:55:44
Defensive Wounds
6/19/2025
Erin grows up in and around violence and anger. But nothing could have prepared her for the tragic discovery she makes at age twenty-seven.
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Duration:01:13:19
The Perfect Happy Family
6/12/2025
Through the dual lens of a devoted sister and parent, Julie explores the emotional terrain of family illness and secrecy, puzzling over how she can care for others without losing herself entirely.
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Duration:00:50:02
Just Like an Arrow
6/5/2025
As Sarah navigates the world as an artist and writer, she must confront the genetic history—its myriad patterns and traumas—at the heart of her story, her very self.
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Duration:00:47:13
I’m The Man You’re Looking For
5/29/2025
Brando’s father is an American Indian incarcerated political activist. Or is he? His mother tells a lot of stories. It’s almost impossible to know what’s true and what isn’t.
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Duration:00:50:55
Family Secrets: Season 12 Trailer
5/22/2025
We're back with a new season of extraordinary stories. Join us next Thursday, My 29th for the premiere of Family Secrets Season 12.
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Duration:00:02:54
A 2025 Update From Dani
3/6/2025
Catching up with our Family Secrets family.
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Duration:00:01:53
I Got a Lion
1/9/2025
Griffin grew up in a family whose illustrious life defined them. But beneath their fame were the secrets that shaped his world.
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Duration:00:32:45
I Thought I Was Telling the Truth
1/2/2025
At the age of sixteen, Jill began a relationship that lasted most of her life with her much-older professor. Twenty-five years ago, she wrote a memoir. But with time comes new memories, new clarity. She’s realized something: it's time to tell the story again, and differently.
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Duration:00:44:09
We’ve Met Once Before
12/26/2024
In her quest for answers about her biological mother in South Korea, Tracy finds more—and in some ways, less—than what she’s bargained for.
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Duration:00:54:43
The Sky Didn't Fall
12/19/2024
When Sacha looks back to her childhood, she sees the branches of a gnarled and tangled family tree. But through art, reflection, storytelling – and just the right therapy – she finally begins to pry the pieces apart.
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Duration:00:58:08
An Active Annihilation
12/12/2024
Growing up in Ahmedabad, one of India’s fastest-growing cities in the early 2000s, Zara’s world ignited –both literally and figuratively.
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Duration:00:56:26
Let’s Go Into the Woods
12/5/2024
When Garth was growing up, he managed to hide his struggles from his parents. But when Garth becomes a parent himself, he must decide when—and if, at all—to come out of hiding.
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Duration:00:36:45
The Sunshine
11/28/2024
Nabil’s dad is not exactly in the picture when he grows up. But he is in other pictures, many in fact. He’s a famous jazz musician and throughout most of Nabil’s life, he’s only a stone’s throw—and yet, a world—away.
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Duration:01:16:06
I Was Told Not to Tell Anyone
11/21/2024
After years of keeping her abortion a secret, Honor discovers the power of telling.
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Duration:00:29:04
The Two Names
11/14/2024
What’s in a name? And what’s not? With a splintered identity and a voracious hunger for truth, David travels far and wide for answers.
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Duration:00:59:18
Love, Mommy Dearest
11/7/2024
Two fires. Two Anitas. Countless questions. In order to understand her mother—and herself—Nina must reckon with a difficult and diffuse past.
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Duration:00:45:33
Family Secrets: Season 11 Trailer
10/31/2024
Season 11 of Family Secrets premieres next Thursday, November 7th.
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Duration:00:02:22
New Season and Workshop!
10/24/2024
Dani updates the Family Secrets family about our Season 11 launch and an upcoming workshop at Kripalu Center.
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Duration:00:01:46