Putsata was an infant when she and her family fled from war-torn Cambodia on an escape boat. When the captain saw that baby Putsata was ill, he suggested that her mother—Ma—throw her overboard. Ma couldn’t do this; she believed her baby would get better, and sure enough she did. Putsata grows up feeling indebted to Ma for saving her life. The weight of this debt gets heavier and heavier over time, causing Put to bury large and important parts of her true self.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the new season of Family Secrets, premiering September 1st.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode, Dani speaks with professor and author Michael Slepian about the psychology of secret keeping and his new book The Secret Life of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-Being, Relationships, and Who We Are.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode, Dani speaks with psychoanalyst and author Dr. Galit Atlas about her new book Emotional Inheritance and the role of secrecy in families—all families.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this replay bonus episode, Dani speaks with writer Jennifer Senior about her cover story ‘What Bobby McIlvaine Left Behind’ for the September 2021 issue of The Atlantic.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tell us what stories you'd like to hear at 1-888-SECRET-0.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dani sits down with her friend and fellow podcaster Nora McInerney for a deep dive into her own family secrets.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dani recalls some of her favorite Family Secrets moments in this special bonus episode put together by Hark. Watch for more bonus content as we continue work on the next season.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Zoe Shaw becomes pregnant at fifteen years old, her life is thrown into orbit. Not only must she conceal her pregnancy from her family and community, but too, her future will be forever informed by the secret at the core of her adolescence.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz Scheier’s mother is eccentric at best, and violent at worst. In the grips of mental illness, she keeps secrets and tells lies. It isn’t until Liz turns eighteen, when her mother finally divulges hidden truths about her past. Decades later, Liz is still trying to piece together the myriad levels of deception.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.