What Happened
to You

What changes when you stop asking “what’s wrong with you” and start asking “what happened to you” instead? Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry, a brain and trauma expert approached the book with this simple question. By asking what happened to you, shame and accusations are muted, and real conversations about trauma and healing begin to open up. 

 

This is a short book about changing our perspective on trauma. When we acknowledge that our trauma comes from somewhere, and is not a personal failing, it becomes easier to open ourselves to healing. The book explores the premise with personal stories, often about Oprah’s past, and invites us to consider what happened to us. 

 

I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by the authors in a conversational style that was very approachable. I’m not necessarily a fan of Oprah, and didn’t listen to this book because of her. The premise interested me, and still does frankly. It doesn’t read like a self-help book. There’s no call to action except to consider what happened to you, no list of ways to suddenly become the person you were always meant to be. It’s a gentle book, and a necessary one. 

 

When we give ourselves permission to acknowledge that something, maybe a lot of things, happened to us, it's ok to recognize that. It’s a soft nudge elevated by a widely regarded and recognized Name that maybe someone who wouldn’t have started a self healing journey on their own might be able to see the path to healing. 

 

Audiobook: 8 hours

Book: 304 pages