Run Towards the Danger, by Sarah Polley

This collection of personal essays by Canadian child actor/grown-up movie director Sarah Polley (to squash her very impressive resume down to the two things she’s likely best known for), is a powerful and thought-provoking read. It’s sort of a memoir, but rather than following a typical “this is the narrative of my life” structure, the book is made up of six separate essays, each about traumatic events in Polley’s life that impacted her both physically and mentally. From scoliosis and stage fright as a child star, to sexual assault and her decision not to go public as one of the victims in a high-profile case, to the aftermath of concussion (and the unorthodox treatment regimen from which the book gets its title), each of these pieces is thoughtful and insightful.

I recorded a podcast recently where a guest and I took a deep dive into discussing this book; I’ll link that here when it’s posted, and until then, I won’t say much more — except that this is far from a typical “celebrity memoir” and well worth reading.