The Healing Power of Self-Love and True Love
Author Publisher
Advocate
Her memoir, The Secret of Things, is an intimate and powerful reflection on what it means to find strength in the darkest seasons, to choose love after heartbreak, and to discover that your story—no matter how painful—can become a source of light for others.
Whether you’re a survivor, a music fan, or someone learning how to love yourself again, you’re welcome here.
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The Book
A story of survival, healing, and an extraordinary love that changed everything.
Joan Pendergrass’s memoir is more than a personal history; it’s a revelation. From a childhood marked by abuse and abandonment to a transformative love story with Teddy Pendergrass, The Secret of Things is an unflinching and deeply human account of what it means to survive and then to thrive.
Told with courage, grace, and unshakable honesty, Joan’s story invites readers into a life lived behind closed doors and then reborn in the open light of truth. It is a tribute to the resilience of women, the healing power of self-love, and the kind of love that sees you—all of you—and stays.
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AUTHOR
About Joan Pendergrass
Joan Pendergrass is a woman of many chapters. Born on the island of Dominica and raised in the shadow of deep family secrets, Joan endured abandonment, sexual abuse, and betrayal before she ever knew safety. For years, she carried those experiences in silence, learning how to survive in a world that didn’t always see her.
Her life changed when she met soul music legend Teddy Pendergrass. With Teddy, she found not just romance, but respect, emotional safety, and true partnership. Their love, tested by public scrutiny and private trials. became her sanctuary. It was a love that invited her to heal.
But Joan’s story doesn’t begin or end with Teddy. Before their marriage, she was already a mother, a hard-working professional, and a woman committed to protecting others, even as she searched for protection herself. After his passing, she found the courage to step fully into her own light and publicly sharing the truths she had kept hidden for decades.
Today, Joan is a voice for survivors. A believer in second chances. A living example that healing is possible, even after the deepest wounds.
Her memoir, The Secret of Things, is both a love letter and a liberation. It is her story told in her own words for the first time.
I spent my life trapped by secrets. The secret of rape.
The secret of abuse. The secret of birth. The secret of abandonment. Like a caged animal, the bars of secrets kept me from freedom—the freedom to become who I was meant to be and, more importantly, the freedom to love myself… Today, I am thriving. I let go of the dark and stepped out into the light.
FROM THE SECRET OF THINGS
FROM OUR READERS
Read Reviews
The authenticity of this book will truly be of help in healing and releasing others who are struggling with secrets from their past.
It is a must read! I read mine the same day
it arrived.
Spectacular writing and not a dull moment… definitely a MUST read book.
More than a memoir, Joan Pendergrass offers a moving testimony of pain and joy, tragedy and triumph, as well as uncompromising fortitude, love, and stewardship.
Wonderful book and highly recommend to anyone who is seeking self-healing and overcoming abuse.