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Family Secrets

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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
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The Mixed Marriage Project

1/8/2026
In his locked study, Dorothy’s father works on his book. For years. And years. And years. But it’s not until after his death that Dorothy uncovers the secrets in between its unfinished pages. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:01:00:40

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90 Miles

1/1/2026
Karen vanishes with her children to escape a violent marriage, erasing a life in order to save it. But eventually, when it’s safe—if it’s safe—she must come out of hiding. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:01:03:01

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All Without Telling Me

12/25/2025
In 1998, long before Dani discovered the truth of her biological paternity, she published a story called “The Secret Wife” about the discovery of her father’s second wife, a secret marriage that had been hidden for decades. Today, she reads and reflects on this story—the uncovering of the silent grief and buried histories that shaped her. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:36:31

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The Guy Who Knew a Guy

12/18/2025
When Francesca sets out to understand her father’s past, she is faced with a world of crime, silence, and denial. But it’s not just his past she must reckon with; it’s her present, her inheritance of a story no one wanted to tell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:01:14:59

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Tangled Up in Blue

12/11/2025
Sam grows up without knowing his biological father. As he enters adolescence, he begins to resemble Bob Dylan. A lot. So when Sam learns his mother had a brief relationship with Dylan in the 70s, the cascade of questions begins to flow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:52:40

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Baby X

12/4/2025
After centuries of ancestral trauma, Julian must listen closely to the stories of his family —stories of survival, memory, myth and generations of erasure—in order to discover the story of himself. Julian Brave NoiseCat's book, We Survived the Night, is out now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:48:44

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They Weren’t Into Consequences

11/27/2025
When Amanda’s parents’ eccentricities take a dark turn toward hoarding, scheming, and secret-keeping, the walls begin to literally close in on her. As the chaos and deceit grows in volume around her, she must figure out how to escape. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:56:09

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In The Backseat of My Body

11/20/2025
When Kate begins to recover haunting memories, she must confront a family history shaped by silence and generational harm. What follows is her quest to piece together the truth and reclaim a stolen childhood. Kate Price's book, This Happened to Me: A Reckoning, is out now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:01:23:55

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Acting on Top of Acting

11/13/2025
Ari’el has spent his life playing characters, trying on different identities. But at a certain point he must discover who—beneath all these competing selves—he truly is. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:01:05:11

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New Season! Coming Soon!

11/6/2025
Thursday, November 13th. New Secrets. New Stories. New Season. Join us next week for our thirteenth launch! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:04:17

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Introducing: Heavyweight

9/29/2025
Hi, Family Secrets listeners! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek at iHeartPodcasts' latest release, Heavyweight! Heavyweight: Maybe you’ve laid awake and imagined how it could have been, how it might yet be, but the moment to act was never right. Well, the moment is here and the podcast making it happen is Heavyweight. Join Jonathan Goldstein for road trips, thorny reunions, and difficult conversations as he backpedals his way into the past like a therapist with a time machine. Listen to Heavyweight on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:02:03

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Bonus: Dani and Gretchen Rubin

8/14/2025
Author and podcaster Gretchen Rubin joins Dani to talk about aphorisms and family secrets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:37:21

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A Word from Dani

8/7/2025
Updates, Workshops, and Special Guests! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:01:54

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There’s a Storm Coming

7/31/2025
A ninety-year old father and his youngest daughter come together to unpack a secret that altered—and ultimately made sense of— the shape of each of their lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:01:20:33

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Which Circle Are You In?

7/24/2025
Not every member of a family is told the same story. Elissa wrestles with the necessity of claiming her voice, even as telling her own singular truth may exact a painful price. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:57:26

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Who’s the Girlfriend?

7/17/2025
A box of letters. A hidden life. A history rewritten. Susan must reckon with how to move forward—how to be a daughter, a sister, a mother—after so much staggering change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:47:05

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Truth or Consequences

7/10/2025
As E.A. takes to the road on a route once taken with her mother, she must confront the stories we inherit, the ones we choose to tell, and the one’s we don’t. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:57:40

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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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:43:57

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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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:55:44

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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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:01:13:19