Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah?sub_confirmation=1 Mara Brock Akil is one of the most influential storytellers of our time. Best known for iconic television series like Girlfriends, Being Mary Jane and the newest Netflix hit Forever, she continues to capture relatable stories that celebrate women's lives. Now, she's bringing her storytelling to the page with her debut novel, The Revelation of Dionne Daphne. The story follows Dionne Daphne, a successful beauty editor whose carefully curated life begins to unravel after a devastating revelation from her former boyfriend forces her to confront painful truths buried deep in her past. In this conversation with Oprah, Mara dives into the themes woven throughout the novel like overcoming shame, confronting childhood wounds and how returning to the places that broke us can sometimes create a new path forward. She also opens up about why this story was deeply personal and why it's the one she needed to tell now. Plus we hear from readers, including Oprah's daughter-girl Thando, who couldn't put the book down and others who found themselves in the story. BUY THE BOOK! The Revelation of Dionne Daphne https://www.amazon.com/dp/059359777X?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback 00:00:00 - Welcome Mara Brock Akil, author of The Revelation of Dionne Daphne 00:04:30 - From TV writing to novel 00:05:48 - Mara on who this book is for 00:06:30 - Characters and plot 00:11:20 - Healing through writing 00:12:20 - Confronting abuse 00:18:00 - Mara on coping with her own abuse 00:20:50 - Thando’s reaction 00:24:50 - What we misunderstand about trust 00:30:45 - Message to women who are still silent 00:36:40 - Dionne’s partner 00:39:00 - The power of storytelling Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices