What My Bones Know

It feels strange to say I "loved" a book about complex trauma and the mental health challenges of the author. Suffice it to say that this is a must-read for anyone who has experienced trauma, especially within a family. I tend to learn more from people's personal stories rather than textbooks or studies. Stephanie Woo candidly talks about her family's dynamics and generational trauma and how it impacted her life. Fascinating and informative while weaving a very personal story.

I wish every author gave their readers as many insightful and hopeful gifts as Foo does in her memoir. I felt her talent as a journalist shine through in the clarity of her examinations and explanations of her traumatic experiences and C-PTSD diagnosis. She brought the human interest side of journalism to her own story.

I thought she struck the perfect balance of fact and emotion in retelling but also reliving the trauma and abandonment she endured. Her skill as a writer allowed me to walk with her through her history without becoming overwhelmed by it.

I loved this book because it was sobering and very close to home. She is a local author writing about how prevalent, even normal child abuse was growing up in the immigrant population in San Jose, CA in the last twenty years.

Our bodies tell stories of remnants of the past and in this memoir, Stephanie Foo proved to us that the body will indeed keep traces of unmetabolized pain that runs through our families.

This book reflects the spirit of intergenerational trauma, but also of intergenerational healing and the ways in which cycle breakers, and particularly those who are immigrants, have to build from the ashes of burned-down dreams and broken hearts. It is a reflection of how generational resilience comes to life, even in the darkest of moments.

For me, this is the new Bible for healing from complex trauma.

First off, Foo offers a spoiler alert: that the book has a happy ending. She also invites the reader to skip the pages (if it’s triggering) where she describes her abusive childhood, resulting in her complex PTSD, and then maps out her journey to recovery (still in process), bringing a brilliant journalist’s eye view to numerous therapeutic approaches and the individual’s context in widespread generational trauma.

I loved this book because Foo is extremely funny, brave, brutally honest, and a riveting storyteller, and because it helped… show more.

Stephanie Foo and I are the same age, grew up in the same place, and both live with complex PTSD as a result of our tumultuous childhoods. We have never met, but this memoir felt like a hug.

Years after distancing herself from her parents, Stephanie Foo can’t stop panicking or criticizing herself despite provable success. Foo deals with a subject by learning all about it, and she has brilliant feedback about the literature and therapeutic methods introduced for C-PTSD.

Ultimately, she provides clarity and hope for those of us who made it through hell but still expect disaster and… show more.

In this memoir, Stephanie Foo, in my opinion, displayed remarkable courage and vulnerability.

The idea that you don't necessarily have to "move on" from your trauma but can instead learn to live with it was truly eye-opening for me. Often, we feel the pressure to completely move on and bury the difficult experiences we've endured in life, rather than accepting them and discovering ways to better cope.

Despite all the hardships Stephanie had to endure, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her relationship with Joey and how he became an integral part of her support system and healing journey.

I highly… show more.