Book Club: What Happened to You by Bruce Perry & Oprah Winfrey

I knew it was ballsy to pick this one up airside on my way back to Hong Kong, and into a week of quarantine. In some ways it was the best place to read this, in other ways, probably the worst.

About the book:

Set out as a conversation between Oprah and Dr. Perry, the book looks at the impact of trauma on our behaviour, aiming to change the narrative from 'what's wrong with you' to  'what happened to you'.

A bit about the author:

Dr Bruce Perry (not pictured, sorry!) has been researching trauma and its effects for decades, and much of that conversation has been shared with Oprah, who I'm guessing needs no introduction here. Set out almost like an interview, the book is a back and forth between these two big voices.

Why we’re crushing on this read:

While a lot of the book centres around case studies of extremely traumatic circumstances, it remains an important read for anyone who has experienced any level of trauma, or knows anyone who has - aka, all of us. 

Dr. Perry lays out truly helpful details on how trauma occurs, how it manifests and how best to manage it.  While every example may not resonate, there are a few that will take up residence in your brain, explaining things about your own behaviour and that of those you love. It wasn't an easy read but it was a worthwhile one.