Here's a great podcast that tells a bizarre, disturbing, and incredibly sad story. It's hosted by Pauline Dakin, and is based on her 2017 memoir, "Run, Hide, Repeat," which won the 2018 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction. In the 5-episode podcast, also called "Run, Hide, Repeat," Dakin recounts a confusing and stressful childhood full of secrets, spent on the run from a motley crew of boogeymen. Eventually Dakin unearths the truth behind all of the fear and intrigue, but this newfound clarity is accompanied by many mixed emotions. CBC.ca describes the podcast:
Pauline Dakin's childhood was marked by unexplained events, a sense of unseen menace, and secretive moves to new cities with no warning. When Pauline was a young adult, her mother finally told her what they were running from – organized crime, secret police and double lives. It was a story so mind-bending, so disturbing, Pauline's entire world was turned upside down. Run Hide Repeat is the story of Pauline's life on the run, her quest for the truth – and her search for forgiveness. Based on the best-selling 2017 memoir, this powerful 5-part journey spans decades and an entire country — and it will leave listeners questioning what's real and who they can trust.
On the True Crime Podcasts subreddit, one user asks, "What did I just listen to?", a sentiment that's definitely relatable. It's hard to get my head around how so many of the people in Dakin's life behaved, but in the end it's a fascinating, frustrating, and sympathetic examination of living in a family where one or more people are suffering from delusional disorder.
To listen, head over to the CBC.ca website.