This is an important superbly written memoir. We join Amy Griffin as she excavates the abuse she suffered as a child but subsequently suppressed. Amy has spent her life running. Running towards perfection. Running toward some ideal of what she’s supposed to be. But it’s only with therapy that she realizes she’s not running to something but away from something. It’s a tough graphic read but necessary. Highly recommended. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the DRC.

The Tell is a profoundly moving and courageous exploration of personal trauma and healing. The book delves into Griffin’s journey of uncovering long-repressed childhood memories and the subsequent path to recovery. Griffin’s story offers hope and is a compelling read. I truly admire her for putting this book into the world. For this reason, I am giving it five stars.

Griffin’s storytelling is engaging, and her insights into trauma, resilience, and self-discovery make this memoir both moving and thought-provoking. However, I found myself wishing she had more directly acknowledged that the kind of healing and personal growth she describes isn’t accessible to everyone. Many people don’t have the financial resources or support systems that can make such deep self-work (or the publishing of a book about it later) possible. Addressing that reality could have added an important layer of depth to an already powerful book.

That said, The Tell is a compelling read that offers valuable reflections on personal transformation and parenthood. I appreciate Griffin’s courage in sharing her journey and encourage others to read her story.

The first step to getting better is understanding the problem. And that's what this memoir is about. Griffin explores her own repressed memories and trauma as well as the methods she has used to expand her mind and escape her burden. Yes she's privileged but her story is relatable. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

The Tell starts with this TW, so I will do the same for readers: This book contains depictions of sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.

I’ve always found the idea of repressed memory incredibly interesting. The brain is such a complex organ that there have to be things we don’t know about the way it works and processes. When it comes to trauma, everyone will handle, retain and remember the events or feelings in their own way.

Griffin’s journey to uncover her repressed memories and unpack the sexual assault she endured as a child was incredibly moving. The retelling of the years after she decided to partake in MDMA-assisted psychedelic therapy were vulnerable, and I think she’s very brave to open her experience to readers. There were so many relatable parts to this book that everyone will find a piece of themself in Amy’s story.

I found her relationship with her daughters and all that she learned about being a parent to be the most impactful, but there is also a lot to be said about being the type of person, and especially being the type of woman, who always defers to others and puts others needs first, who strives for perfectionism and can do no wrong, who makes themselves small so others can take the spotlight– it is okay to put yourself and your needs first. In fact, it is imperative.

I highly recommend this book.

*Thank you to NetGalley for exchanging an e-ARC of this book for an unbiased review!

The Tell is Amy Griffin's memoir of all the different ways trauma showed up in her life without her realizing that anything had happened. When the signs become more significant, she gathers the courage to do a psychedelic guided therapy experience and the memories come flooding back. I think that in itself is very brave as it's scary to give up control of your body in order to experience the return of repressed memories and re-experience them. Her courage with what to do with those memories is also significant as is her writing a book about what happened to her.

That said, I feel horrible writing a so so review for a book about something so personal, but I thought it lived up to the title, The Tell. There was a lot of telling and I would have appreciated the book more if it went deeper below the surface. I wish it would have been more poetic and reached the depths of her soul rather than plugging along staying very close to the surface. I think writing this book and publishing it, must have been an incredible feat so I'm in no way putting down Amy, I just wished it dug deeper.

This is an emotional story that I can relate to. My experience is nothing like the author's, but I feel her violation all the same. As she describes her experience, all I can think is the lack of justice for those who are violated. Even though she has found some peace, I hope she continues to do so when this book is released. I was glad that she was able to get closer to her children and her husband, and that they supported her when she was trying to get justice. I also like that her friends had her back and didn't abandon her. when she revealed what happen to her, even when no one else remembers anything. This is a very brave person that talks about what happen to her, so that others know their not alone.
When I read books like this, I get angry at the injustice that many who are violated don't get or when those are found guilty are let go by bogus judges that say Oh, poor criminal who has hurt someone I will let you go because it will effect them if they go to jail, but who cares what this criminal did to someone else. It all makes me so sad because no matter what was done, you live with it forever.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of a book about a brave woman who tells us what happen to her and how she is dealing with it.

Amy grew up the eldest child in a highly respected Amarillo, TX family. For all intents and purposes she appeared healthy and happy, privileged and proud; but festering under the surface was abuse-fueled anxiety that propelled her into hyper overachievement. Driven through college, moving to NYC, marathons, marriage, motherhood, triathlons, business success and until her eventual collapse. By that time she was feeling besieged by this constant pursuit of perfection, her own children were telling her they felt disconnected from her, and then, by twist of fate, and dosage of MDMA in a therapeutic setting, Amy uncovered the childhood secret that shattered her bubble of perfection but also, eventually, brought her a modicum of peace.

The Tell is a memoir about childhood trauma, but also about the journey to reclaiming ones health and power. To quote the founder of MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in an article about the FDA clearing MDMA as an experimental treatment, "PTSD is always distracting you from facing your problems, because it's terrifying. On the MDMA, you're finally able to face the stuff you've been pushing down for so many years." Amy describes how just three sessions enabled her to regain control of her life.

Wow! I couldn’t put this one down. Amy’s story is one that unfortunately resonates with so many women. Her journey to find out the truth of her past left me in tears. She did a wonderful job of setting the scene and building up to her life changing discovery. While I would have loved to see a closed loop ending, unfortunately this is real life and we don’t always get the outcome we deserve. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

In The Tell, Griffin opens up about the profound and difficult journey of confronting the trauma and grief from her childhood sexual abuse, endured at the hands of someone she once trusted. As an adult, feeling drained, unsettled, and unsure of the source of her pain, she undergoes psychedelic-assisted therapy, where long-buried memories resurface. This raw, emotional memoir captures not only the painful reality of her past but also her path toward justice and healing.

With its blend of honesty, vulnerability, and elegance, The Tell is a powerful and important read for women everywhere.

I absolutely loved every word in this book. I couldn’t put it down despite the difficult subject matter. I applaud Amy Griffin for sharing her story with the world as it has the power to help so many people.

An incredibly moving, eye-opening, and hopeful book. Griffin does a fantastic job bringing of bringing the reader into her experiences and taking them on her journey towards healing.

This book rightfully has a trigger warning associated with but would re-emphasize the depth, complexity, and emotional toll the content brings with it. Readers should be clear eyed about that before reading.

Outstanding! It is so emotional and disturbing but the guts it took to write this are just...wow. But at the same time the author shows how difficult this processing is, and how long it takes. This is such an important and gorgeously written memoir. I hope it finds its way into all the right hands because it will make a huge impact.

Quite a revealing memoir from a woman who was repeatedly raped by a teacher when she was 12 years old. Until she was an adult and had 4 children of her own, was she finally willing to ask for help in discovering what her subconscious was hiding from her. This story explores her use of MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy) in a controlled medical setting, her difficult journey accepting a different personal history from what she previously believed, the painful first few times of telling family and friends what had happened to her, the maddening lack of support from Texas laws, and the gradual acceptance of herself as a good—not perfect—person and survivor she is today. Her phrasing throughout is outstanding as I could feel her anger at times, as well as despair and confusion and fear and, eventually, calmness, peace, and even joy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Books/Random House for the ARC to read and review.

I learned so much from this book. Such as appearances don't always reflect people's history and inside feelings. Also that with resources it is possible to overcome demons from your youth who are still influencing your adult life. And that surrounding yourself with loved ones is one of the best you can do for yourself. It is somewhat triggering but still very much worth the read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I’m not going to review this book; as a psychotherapist of 30+ years and someone who has also worked as a writer and developmental editor, I can’t quite reconcile the writing style with the story itself, and the memoir aspect with some elements of the writing.

While I honor the author’s story and need to write it, it was hard to read to the end - not at all due to the story or the subject matter, but because of the writing style itself. This book needs editing and I had to push to keep reading it.

While interesting, there were several things about Griffin's memoir that didn't entirely work for me. For one, I found it strange that the book synopsis carefully avoids the type of "secret" that Griffin kept when there is a pretty clear trigger warning before you begin the book. (That said, stop reading if you don't want a spoiler and manage to avoid the trigger warnings...) The first section follows Griffin's early childhood in a conservative Texas family but doesn't delve into the "secret," though I found myself wondering if it would be addressed, as her early life is shared in an otherwise consecutive fashion. In middle school, she takes up running and much of the book overuses this metaphor of literally running from her issues.

As an adult, in the second section of the memoir, Griffin becomes familiar with MDMA therapy after her husband uses it in therapy. Better known as ecstasy in its "street" form and similar to psychedelics, Griffin decides it may be her best bet at accessing a dark area of her life that she is aware exists though cannot identify - the event she has dissociated from and been "running from." Oddly, she begins recalling horrifying sexual abuse before the drug even kicks in, and thus begin many years of trying to grieve her childhood abuse, integrate her new memories into her life, and begin a long journey of healing. While the type of abuse is clear and anyone can imagine being terrified at facing such a memory (especially after "hiding" from it for decades,) it isn't always clear what emotions Griffin is experiencing. This point was especially obvious to me when she references previous depression towards the end of the book, as it had not been clear to me when she was in the throes of it. She explores her sessions with MDMA as well as her more traditional therapy, her process of attempting to share her experiences with friends and family, and her attempts to find legal justice. I found some aspects of her story repetitive and others vague, but I'm sure many readers will find inspiration in Griffin's story of overcoming severe trauma.

A profoundly brave and candid memoir. I was deeply moved by the clarity in her writing, which mirrors her journey toward self-understanding. Griffin beautifully illustrates how we have the capacity to evolve and heal, even as we confront the parts of our past we once thought we could never face.

Amy has been running all her life: from the track in school to the park in New York City. Until she starts to wonder if she is running from something.
I could not put this book down. Amy’s voice flows so gracefully as she navigates various therapy modalities to hone in on her truth, and what a difficult one it turns out to be. Child sexual abuse is such a dark subject, yet Amy chooses to focus on healing and finding peace within herself. A truly remarkable story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a brave one. When Amy Griffin's daughter mentions that she doesn't really know her, Griffin begins to analyze behaviors that she has used for some time to protect herself, to keep her slightly distanced from others. But protect herself from what she wonders? Perfectionism, control, hypervigilance are what Griffin has used to keep the memories at bay, and when she finally takes a look underneath the coping tools, the memories come flooding back. This is about trauma, the impact of that trauma and the healing that tries to occur without justice being served. I found this to be well written, honest and brave. I think Griffin will help many with this work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the ARC!

Amy Griffin bravely writes about a secret that she’s held onto for a very long time. Through the dirt roads of her hometown Amarillo, through her college experience in Virginia as a student athlete to building a family and a successful business in New York City, Amy’s life looks perfect on paper. But there’s something that’s hiding beneath the surface, in the deep recesses of her memory. Something that, and through psychedelic therapy, she grapples with processing.
This book contains at times graphic descriptions of sexual abuse which was hard to read. But Amy’s story was so important to tell, and not just to us readers, but to the people closest to her. It’s a story I wish no woman had to tell. As a mental health therapist, this story is an example of how the body stores trauma and what that looks like for one individual. This book with stay with me for a long time.

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