Welcome to Paradise

For Anna Maria Tremonti, the decision to speak publicly about being abused by a former partner was complex; she wanted to tell it, but didn’t know how. Live on stage at the Hot Docs festival, Anna Maria unpacks what led her to creating Welcome to Paradise, and how the release of the podcast reconnected her with someone she never thought she’d hear from again.

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. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/WAfpvQrq

Anna Maria makes a trip to find out more about Pat's past and confirms something she’d suspected.

If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619.

For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405

As Anna Maria prepares to contact Pat, she makes a startling discovery.

If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619.

For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405

Getting out is only half the battle. After separating from her abusive husband, Anna Maria faces the most dangerous period of the relationship… and long-term emotional fallout that follows her for years.

If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619.

For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405

Anna Maria is living a double life. In public she and Pat seem like the perfect couple. At home, he’s becoming increasingly violent.

If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619.

For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405

Pat seems charming, funny and worldly – the perfect husband. But shortly after their wedding, Anna Maria discovers the man she’s married is an entirely different person behind closed doors.

If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619.

For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405

Ready to reveal her longest-held secret, Anna Maria Tremonti talks to her therapist about a trauma from 40 years ago that’s the source of shame and self-loathing. She’s reported on gender-based violence many times as a journalist, including from war zones – but this time, she’s telling her own story.

If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/resource-list-welcome-to-paradise-1.6328619.

For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/welcome-to-paradise-transcripts-listen-1.6803405

The secret's out. As one of Canada’s most respected journalists, Anna Maria Tremonti has a reputation for being fearless. She’s reported from some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones. But there’s one story she’s never made public: when she was 23 years old, she married a man who beat her. Their marriage only lasted one year but the consequences of that abuse lasted a lifetime. Now she's telling her own story. Welcome to Paradise launches February 15. If you or someone you know is affected by intimate partner violence, you can find a list of resources at cbc.ca/WTPresources.