Former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is returning to her journalistic roots with the release of a highly anticipated political memoir that promises an insider’s perspective on some of the most consequential political and economic events of the past decade.
The book, titled Unreliable Boyfriend, is scheduled for publication in October and is expected to offer readers a candid look at international diplomacy, trade negotiations, political leadership, and Canada’s evolving relationship with the United States.
The title stems from a widely discussed remark Freeland made during an appearance on the television program Real Time with Bill Maher earlier this year, when she described the United States as “not a very reliable boyfriend right now.” The comment attracted international attention and has now become the inspiration for the memoir’s title.
Published by Simon & Schuster Canada, the book is being described as a blend of political memoir and international analysis. It will explore Freeland’s experiences dealing with global leaders, powerful business figures, and complex geopolitical challenges while serving at the highest levels of government.
Freeland brings a unique perspective to the project. Before entering politics, she built a distinguished career as a journalist and author, covering international affairs and global economics. According to her publisher, the memoir combines those journalistic skills with firsthand political experience to provide readers with an inside account of decision-making during a period marked by significant political and economic turbulence.
Over the course of her political career, Freeland held several of Canada’s most influential cabinet positions. She served as minister of international trade, minister of foreign affairs, minister of finance, and deputy prime minister during the governments of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and later Mark Carney.
One of the defining chapters of her career was her role in negotiating the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), a landmark trade pact that reshaped North American economic relations. Freeland emerged as one of Canada’s chief negotiators during often difficult discussions with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Her firm negotiating style drew international attention and occasionally public criticism from American officials.
The memoir is also expected to touch on the dramatic events surrounding her resignation from cabinet in December 2024, a move that signaled a major political rupture within the Trudeau government and became one of the defining moments in recent Canadian politics.
Following her return to cabinet under Prime Minister Carney, Freeland later stepped away from federal politics altogether, resigning from Parliament in early 2026. Since then, she has taken on international roles, including serving as an economic development adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and becoming Chief Executive Officer of the prestigious Rhodes Trust.
With global politics, trade relations, and international security continuing to dominate headlines, Unreliable Boyfriend is expected to offer readers a rare behind-the-scenes look at power, diplomacy, and leadership from one of Canada’s most recognizable political figures. The memoir is likely to attract significant attention both in Canada and internationally when it reaches bookstores this fall.