The Relentless Courage of a Scared Child: How Persistence, Grit, and Faith Created a Reluctant Healer

A shocking and hopeful account of one woman's extraordinary courage to face her past and embrace truth in order to help others find hope and healing

In The Relentless Courage of a Scared Child, Tana Amen shares her incredible story of transformation—of growing up in poverty, a bullied latch-key kid raised on sugary cereal and junk food, to becoming a world-renowned food and fitness expert.

Her challenging past of neglect, poverty, sexual abuse, thyroid cancer, and bouts of anxiety and depression set her on a path to find healing. Through her remarkable journey, we see more clearly the light that can shine through our own broken places and ultimately heal us: body, mind, and soul.

At once tragic and heartwarming, Tana’s story integrates cutting-edge psychology and proven wellness techniques from the Amen Clinics in a moving exploration of the healing available to each one of us, no matter the pain in our past.

“What a journey! With in-your-face honesty, Tana reveals how she was able to turn her pain into purpose. For anyone who has been faced with unspeakable loss, this message is so important.” 

—Jay Shetty, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Like a Monk, storyteller, purpose coach, and former monk

Tana Amen is a New York Times bestselling author, vice president of the Amen Clinics, a neurosurgical ICU trauma nurse, and a world-renowned health and fitness expert. She has won the hearts of millions with her simple yet effective strategies to help anyone optimize their lifestyle and win the fight for a strong body, mind, and spirit. Tana holds a second-degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Tana and her husband, Dr. Daniel Amen, have four children and five grandchildren.