Line Runs Through It, A

A Line Runs Through It: A Story of Sexual Abuse, Addiction, and Redemption
by Niall Schofield
Published by Wood Dragon Books
Review by Toby A. Welch  
$22.99 ISBN 9781990863868

One of my goals for 2026 is to be a more empathetic person. Everyone is carrying something and learning to give people grace feels more necessary than ever. So when A Line Runs Through It landed on my bookshelf, I couldn’t wait to dive in. It’s a powerful reminder that everyone has a story, everyone struggles, and kindness costs us very little.

But enough about me – this moment belongs to Niall Schofield. His memoir is gripping, tender, and emotionally disarming. I found myself laughing in some moments, crying in others, and picking my heart up off the floor and putting it back together in other parts. This is the kind of story that stays with you.

What makes A Line Runs Through It work so well is Schofield’s vulnerability. He is unflinchingly honest about his past, his mistakes, and the choices that shaped his life. Rather than diminishing him, that honesty deepens the reader’s admiration. He has endured more in his first five decades than most experience in a lifetime, and he tells it without self-pity or pretense. 

Born in 1978 in Saskatoon, Schofield was part of the Sixties Scoop, the large-scale removal (or “scooping”) of approximately twenty thousand Indigenous children from their homes and communities by child welfare authorities. The kiddos were placed in mostly non-Indigenous middle-class households from the early 1950s to the mid-1980s. Taken from his birth family at four months old and placed for adoption, Schofield was adopted by a loving couple. Like many of the Scoop survivors, he suffered a disconnection from his cultural identity and origins.

Schofield had a relatively normal childhood – his words – but as he grew older the impacts of being born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder became more obvious. Behavioural challenges and impulsivity complicated school and everyday life, shaping both his struggles and his resilience.

Some of the most difficult sections to read are also the most powerful. Scofield writes about the sexual abuse he endured as well as the silence that was strongly encouraged afterwards. The confusion, shame, and consequences are devastating and Schofield’s willingness to confront them head-on gives this memoir even more depth.

Throughout the book, Schofield shares a life marked by extremes, some positive and some negative, as is usually the case: addiction and recovery, physical pain, loss, traumatic grief, ambition, missteps, and glimpses of hope. He doesn’t sanitize his experiences or ask for sympathy. Instead, he invites readers to witness the messiness. I read this beautiful book in one sitting, unable to put it down.

A Line Runs Through It is a must-read. It’s honest, compelling, and deeply human. More than anything, it reminds us that everyone is fighting a battle we may know nothing about. Happy reading!

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM