STANDING APART — SOPHIE GRÉGOIRE TRUDEAU’s new book was never going to be a tell-all. Nor is it political, her publicist insists to Playbook, though “Closer Together” does open with glowing praise from former U.S. secretary of state HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON. What it is though, is a wellness book that fuses memoir with mental health-oriented interviews featuring Governor General MARY SIMON, Canadian author LIZ PLANK, singer-songwriter JEWEL, Canadian physician GABOR MATÉ, Canadian Olympian MARK TEWKSBURY and others. There are simplified breathing exercises and playful recollections about the formative experience of growing up in a cabin in Sainte-Adèle, 90 minutes outside of Montreal. Interview excerpts appear in a Q&A format with questions designed to showcase Grégoire Trudeau’s emotional intelligence — a quality her estranged husband also leaned on once upon a time — a “skill” that set him apart in politics. — No tabloid news: Tiny glimpses into the private life of Canada’s first family (sex-positive parenting!) are threaded through the book — but it offers no fodder to fuel gossip about why Grégoire Trudeau’s 18-year marriage to Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU’s fell apart. “Don’t expect much oversharing,” reviewer MARSHA LEDERMAN writes in the Globe. And, of course, Grégoire Trudeau doesn’t owe the public that information. — Awkward space: It’s too early to say if the book will blow up in the same way as MICHELLE OBAMA’s “Becoming” did — a bit of an unfair comparison in the niche genre of autobiographies from political spouses. The two women’s public profiles are fundamentally different. Unlike in the United States, there’s no formal office for the prime minister’s spouse in Canada. MAUREEN MCTEER, wife of former PM JOE CLARK, wrote in her 2003 memoir that she had no idea what was involved in the role until she was in it. It's all very DIY, as MARGARET TRUDEAU can attest. The PM’s mother once said in an interview that she wasn’t “intended for political public life” — and a lack of clear causes to champion or goals to pursue while her husband, PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU, was in office didn’t help. In the same way, there was no role for Grégoire Trudeau, an accomplished broadcast journalist, to fill. — Lessons taken: “Closer Together” is an appeal for human connection in a fracturing world — a radical read given the zero-sum state of Canadian politics. It’s also a continuation of Grégoire Trudeau’s work to dismantle stigmas around eating disorders and mental health. — Trick mirrors: The mother of three, who celebrates her 49th birthday today, is a polarizing figure in the Ottawa bubble, dismissed by some as “Trudeau’s wife” or written off as a Rockcliffe Park new-age yogi. She writes about being wrongfully stereotyped by “wearing formal clothes that don’t represent the real me” to official events. — That was then: It feels like eons since a .gif of Trudeaus’ dance moves during the 2013 Liberal leadership convention portrayed the couple as Canadian political darlings. — This is now: Grégoire Trudeau shares passing mentions about what her family is currently exposed to as a result of a rise in polarization and threats of political violence. “On several occasions, protesters have tried to physically harm Justin as we’ve walked in a parade as a family,” she writes, adding that her family now has bodyguards 24/7. “My children have seen posters of their dad standing on the gallows in front of an executioner, and we’ve seen ‘F*ck Trudeau’ signs in car and truck windows while walking or driving around town. It’s hard to experience and see things like this and not react. It’s hard to accept that threats, bullying and uneasiness are part of your day-to-day life, and it’s hard, as a parent, to think that your kids might not be or feel secure in the midst of all this,” she writes. — Bigger forces at play: Grégoire Trudeau was on the defensive when “The Current” host MATT GALLOWAY asked if the hate spewed against the prime minister feels personal. “It’s not personal, Matt. There are greater movements in our society that explain the human behavior right now,” she said, adding that the inclination to analyze this as a phenomenon unique to her estranged husband is “irresponsible.” As a mental health advocate, she said she has come to understand that people who need help or feel insecure or are angry need to feel safe. It’s a humanizing message the prime minister has started to repeat to negligible results. | 
