My Story (Julie Couillard)

Infobox Book
name = My Story


image_caption = First edition cover
author = Julie Couillard
cover_artist =
country = Canada
language = English, French
subject =
genre = Non-fiction, memoir
publisher = McClelland & Stewart
pub_date = October 6, 2008
media_type = Print (Hardcover)
pages = 320 pp.
isbn = ISBN 0771022921 (10) & ISBN 9780771022920 (13)
oclc =

"My Story" (or "Mon histoire") is the Canadian tell-all memoir by Julie Couillard. Following the Bernier-Couillard affair, Couillard signed a book deal to dispel rumours regarding her life and her role with Bernier. In the book, Couillard describes her relationship with Bernier, reveals the confidential opinions he shared with her, and comments on her opinions on Bernier, himself. The book was originally scheduled to be released on October 14, but the date was moved earlier once the federal election, in which Bernier is seeking re-election, was called for that date. [cite news |title = Tell-all book by MP's ex-girlfriend to hit stores before election |work = CBC News |date = September 9, 2008 |url= http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2008/09/09/mtl-couillardautobiography0909.html |accessdate=2008-10-07] [cite news |first = Daniel |last = LeBlanc |title = Bernier dismisses Couillard allegations as 'marketing strategy' |work = The Globe and Mail |date = October 2, 2008 |url= http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081002.wcouillard02/BNStory/National |accessdate=2008-10-04]

Background

Julie Couillard first came to media attention when she wore a revealing dress while attending Maxime Bernier's swearing-in ceremony for the Minister of Foreign Affairs position in August 2007. [cite news |first = Nelson |last = Wyatt |title = Couillard doesn't hold back in new book: Publisher |work = The Canadian Press |date = September 9, 2008 |url=http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/CanadaVotes/News/2008/09/09/6712366-cp.html |accessdate=2008-10-04] They first met at a restaurant dinner with business associates [cite news |first = Christie |last = Blatchford|title = Couillard told to trash NATO briefings, book reveals |work = The Globe and Mail |location = Toronto |date = October 2, 2008 |url= http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081002.wblatch02/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostemail |accessdate=2008-10-04] and began dating that summer and into early-2008. In April 2008, after their relationship had ended (though they still occasionally saw each other), Bernier left confidential NATO-related documents with Couillard as he left her house in a rush, asking her to throw them in the garbage. Couillard left them on a counter and forgot about them until May when she returned them to a Foreign Affairs office. A controversy arose regarding this and political commentators called it a national security threat due to his carelessness and Couillard background with biker gangs. [cite news |first = Allan |last = Woods |title = Harper dismisses revelations about minister |work = The Toronto Star |date = May 9, 2008 |url= http://www.thestar.com/article/423209 |accessdate=2008-10-05] Bernier resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs the following day. According to Couillard, Bernier's response to media coverage made her feel betrayed and abandoned by him. [cite news |first = Louis Mathieu |last = Gagne |title = Bernier's ex dishes about scandal |work = Canoe.ca |date = May 26, 2008 |url= http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2008/05/26/pf-5669276.html |accessdate=2008-10-05] In June she agreed to write a book in which she could dispel rumours and lies that were being told regarding her. She formally signed the book deal in July and wrote it, in French, during the summer.

Content

The book begins as an autobiography of her life. Couillard was born in Ville-Émard district of Montreal in the late-1960s and moved to the Montreal suburb of Lorraine when she was 4 years old. Her parents often fought as her mother believed that her husband was cheating on her. The family has financial problems as her father changes careers. At age 12 Couillard was diagnosed with epilepsy. At age 17 she bought several properties with her boyfriend and lived briefly with him before breaking up and selling the properties. She became friends, then lovers, with Gilles Giguère, a money lender associated with the Hells Angels. In 1996, after the police raided his apartment and, according to Couillard, threatened him, he became sullen and withdrawn. The police charged him with conspiracy to commit murder but let it drop 2 months later and he was soon assassinated.cite web |url= http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/10/02/a-liveblog-review-of-my-story-by-julie-couillard/ |title= A liveblog review of My Story, by Julie Couillard |accessdate= 2008-10-04 |last= Gillis |first= Charlie |date= October 2, 2008 |work= macleans.ca]

In 1997 she meets Stéphane Sirois, an enforcer at a Hells Angels affiliate club. They marry but financial problems interfere with the relationship. Couillard cheats on Sirois with a man named Bruno. As they divorce Sirois becomes an informant for the police and enters witness protection. Couillard became pregnant with Bruno's child but she got an abortion and they broke up. Following further financial problems Couillard declared personal bankruptcy in 2002. She began an affair with a married man but he abandoned her while they were visiting Venice together. Couillard launched her own security firm, Integrated Global Solutions, along with an auto-leasing business. After meeting Philippe Morin of Kevlar, a real estate company, and then starting to date Bernard Coté, an aide to the federal Minister of Public Works, Michael Fortier, she introduces them and they sign a deal for the federal government to acquire land from Kevlar. Once the deal became public the deal was considered a conflict of interest for Coté and he was forced to resign, despite Morin denying having known Couillard.

In April 2007, she attends a Conservative Party of Canada fundraiser and she is asked to consider being a candidate for the party. She then attends a dinner party where she meets Maxime Bernier and they begin dating. Bernier signs Couillard as his wife so she can be his traveling partner on government business. While attending a United Nations function in New York Couillard meets US President George Bush. Couillard characterizes Bernier as intellectually lazy, preoccupied with his appearance, and concerned that he appeared gay. She writes that Bernier privately criticized Prime Minister Stephen Harper's eating habits and physique, spoke with party supporters about replacing Harper as party leader, and opposed the invasion of Iraq contrary to his party's stance. According to the book, Bernier whispered negative comments to her about members of his riding of Beauce. She writes that Bernier did not own a laptop and frequently used her house and home computer as a second office. They broke up in December 2007 but continued to occasionally see each other.

Publication and Reception

The original publication date for the book was October 14, 2008. After the Canadian federal election was called and set for that date the book's release was re-scheduled to October 6, eight days before the election in which Bernier is seeking re-election. In response to the book, Bernier dismissed the contents of the book as "soap-opera politics and completely ridiculous" and denied ever criticizing Harper or constituents. [cite news |first = Tobi |last = Cohen |title = Bernier dismisses Couillard's tell-all book |work = The Toronto Star |location = Toronto |page = A21 |date = October 2, 2008 |url=http://www.thestar.com/federalelection/article/510088 |accessdate=2008-10-04]

References

*cite news |first = Daniel |last = LeBlanc |title = Couillard says firm hired her for Tory contacts |work = The Globe and Mail |date = October 3, 2008 |url= http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081003.wcouillard03/BNStory/National/home |accessdate=2008-10-04
*cite news |first = Chris |last = Cobb|title = A stake through the heart |work = The Ottawa Citizen |date = October 4, 2008 |url= http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=67a21ad2-7390-4d53-9102-bd918250919d |accessdate=2008-10-04
*cite news |first = John |last = Ivison |title = Bernier asked Couillard to trash NATO documents: book |work = National Post |date = October 1, 2008 |url= http://www.nationalpost.com/most_popular/story.html?id=853268 |accessdate=2008-10-04
*cite web |url= http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2008/10/04/6976536-sun.html |title= Notorious girlfriend tells all |accessdate= 2008-10-04 |last= Renaud |first= Daniel |date= October 4, 2008 |work= The Ottawa Sun