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

by Gillian Deacon

A refreshing look at the inevitability of uncertainty and how it can help make the hard parts of life more manageable.


“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. In fact, our best shot at creativity, innovation, and human connection occurs when we radically embrace the uncertainty we habitually struggle against.


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

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

Expected publication January 27, 2026

About the author

Gillian Deacon is the author of Naked Imperfection, a memoir about the modern woman's struggles with perfectionism and the illusion of control, as considered in light of a young healthy woman's diagnosis with breast cancer.
Gill's last book, There's Lead in Your Lipstick, was a national bestseller as soon as it was released in January 2011. It was ranked #1 on the Independent Booksellers sales list, and was an Amazon Top 100 book.
Her previous book, Green For Life, was also a bestseller, a friendly guide to everyday green living.
Gill is a musician, a keen amateur photographer, and a host on CBC Radio One. She is currently at work on a novel. Gill lives in Toronto with her husband and three children.

Reviews

[Dena Schulze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and I already want to read it again. Beautifully written about something that we all deal with, embracing uncertainty. Part memoir, part exploration. Am I comfortable with the unknown? Not yet but something to learn and strive for - to live in the present moment.

“What happens when we’re lost? When the route instructions are gone and the prescribed order of events is abandoned? There is a bit of panic, yes - an instant tallying of all the expensive and possibly life threatening worst case scenarios this sudden uncertainty may bring about. But there’s also a freedom, an exhilarating free fall as a parallel universe opens up and we slip through a portal into the immediacy of life in all its unknown randomness.”

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book explores how to live with and even embrace uncertainty, something that shapes so much of our lives and fuels a great deal of our anxiety. Drawing on both research and personal reflection, the author makes a compelling case for shifting our mindset from fearing the unknown to learning how to sit with it.

The book is well researched, but I was surprised to find myself more engaged with the author’s personal experiences than with the scientific sections. As a scientist, I expected the opposite, yet the memoir-style moments felt more relatable and emotionally resonant, while some of the research felt heavier and less engaging.

Overall, a thoughtful and reassuring read that offers useful insights, especially for anyone struggling with uncertainty or looking to reframe how they approach it.

Thank you House of Anasi for the complimentary copy.

[Laurie Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book for healing, and really leaning into change. We are in a time of what feels like wave after wave of bad change, and there is not much we can do about it. We have to learn to be able to ride change.

We learn than we can handle more than we think (always.)
Some tips to get a bit away from being hard wired towards being negative.

Thanks to House and Anasi for the early copy!
#gifted