Alison McCreesh is on the Russian leg of a circumpolar journey, family in tow, when she discovers a lump in her breast. Worried about the possibilities and concerned about navigating an unfamiliar healthcare system, McCreesh turns to Google for reassurance, but finds none. Reluctantly, she embarks on a new excursion—to find a doctor and a diagnosis in the town she’s visiting. As a local guide escorts her from place to place with only the sparsest of explanations, McCreesh’s anxiety mounts. Petrozavodsk is an intimate look at what it’s like to be vulnerable in a place where you don’t know the language or the protocols—tinged with McCreesh’s trademark humour and heart..
