FESTIVAL 2026

A Love Affair with the Unknown: Leaning into the Uncertainty of Modern Life

by Gillian Deacon

House of Anansi Press

FESTIVAL 2026

A Love Affair with the Unknown: Leaning into the Uncertainty of Modern Life

by Gillian Deacon

House of Anansi Press

Synopsis

A refreshing look at the inevitability of uncertainty—and at all the possibility it holds.
*INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER*

“Gill—high level of comfort with uncertainty,” a producer once noted. But Gill Deacon’s comfort level is put to the test over the course of an illness that is as mysterious as it is debilitating. During this time of not knowing, Deacon investigates the nature of uncertainty itself and demonstrates how we can choose to draw on our innate resilience and learn to thrive in an ever-changing world. She reminds us that, like comedy improvisation and jazz music, beautiful things can result from the unpredictable and unplanned. While providing evidence of the beauty in not knowing, she makes a clear and compelling case that uncertainty is a condition we are built for.

This thoughtful examination of uncertainty by a warm and wise fellow traveller is a balm that can soothe us in troubling times.

About the Author

Gillian Deacon is an award-winning broadcaster and writer. A familiar voice on CBC Radio, Gill spent over a decade as host of Here & Now, Toronto's afternoon drive show on CBC Radio One. She is the author of the national bestsellers A Love Affair with the Unknown, There’s Lead in Your Lipstick: Toxins in Everyday Bodycare and How to Avoid Them; Green for Life; and the memoir Naked Imperfection. Gill lives in Toronto with her husband and their three sons. 

Read more about Gillian Deacon

Credit Peter Andrew

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