What Happened to You?
17 September 2026Synopsis
ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
An updated and revised edition of the bestselling book with more than 1 million copies sold, from Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain development and trauma expert, Dr. Bruce Perry
What happened to you? This powerful, fundamental question is an invitation to share one’s most difficult experiences, to unpack and process them, and reflect on the ways they have shaped us. When Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry first began to investigate this question in 2021, it was with the shared desire to destigmatize trauma, to normalize conversations about adversity that has a lasting impact on our wellbeing.
Today, the dialogue around trauma and adverse experiences has advanced considerably. We know that “what happened to us” in childhood is a powerful predictor of our risk for health problems down the road, and the patterns of behaviors we often struggle to understand. Now, in the paperback edition of this landmark book, Oprah and Dr. Perry share new research, new stories from readers of the book, and new insights and experiences from Oprah.
Once again, one of the world’s greatest truth-tellers pairs forces with one of the world’s leading experts on trauma to marry storytelling with science, allowing us all to open the door to resilience and healing.
Details
17 September 2026
9781037414091Reviews
An incredible dialogue that bares the fundamental causes of trauma, and rightly turns the question of shame on it’s head and back to the environment. There is so much more we need to learn and this book is the perfect guide to reframing how we can act - through research, experience and compassion - in tomorrow's world. An essential read
Revealing, intimate, and educational, it's a testament to the authors' wish for readers to come to grips with, and let go of, the past – and to move forward into 'post-traumatic wisdom'
