Lonely, But Purposeful

Stéphane Dion came from far behind to win the Liberal leadership on December 2 last year and, shortly after, Linda Diebel, journalist and author, met a friend from her agent’s office to hash over book ideas. They came up with the notion of a book on Dion to be written and published in three months. “Never before has a book owed so much to a margarita,” writes Diebel. Or was it perhaps two margaritas, and a large glass of the Christmas spirit of optimism? She admits she soon had doubts about the deadline. But by then the publishing wheels were turning so she plunged ahead.

Having written in three months one of the first books on Pierre Trudeau (Paradox: Trudeau as Prime Minister), I have an idea how she felt. But I had all my material to hand in reports and columns already published, while Diebel was starting more or less from scratch. With the help of a research assistant, she seems to have scanned all the published material and interviewed many sources...