New Canaan Library welcomes author and journalist Kate Fagan, who will speak about her recently released book, What Made Maddy Run, a thoughtfully written and important book that addresses the vital topics of teenage suicide, pressures young people face today, and mental illness.

Ms. Fagan will speak at the Library at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 6. Support for this event comes from New Canaan Cares and Elm Street Books. Please register online at Newcanaanlibrary.org.

What Made Maddy Run is the heartbreaking story of college freshman and athlete Madison Holleran, whose suicide sent shockwaves through the campus of University of Pennsylvania.

Fagan’s sensitively written book shows, with uncommon understanding, the struggle and unique situation of young people suffering from mental illness.

To the casual observer, Maddy’s life seemed to have all the facets of a successful, happy existence: recruited by an Ivy League, beautiful, popular and extremely intelligent. But that freshman year Maddy started to change; her parents noticed her withdrawing and she talked about transferring.

Sadly, when her father dropped her off for spring semester, it was the last time he would hug her. What Fagan initially wrote for espnW as a profile on a successful young athlete whose life ended in suicide turned into this important book when she began to hear from other college athletes also struggling with mental illness.

Kate Fagan is a columnist and feature writer for espnW, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. She is also a regular panelist on ESPN’s Around the Horn and can also be seen on Outside the Lines, First Take and His & Hers.

Previously, Fagan spent three seasons covering the 76ers for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She is the author of a memoir, The Reappearing Act, and co-host of the espnW podcast, “Free Cookies.” Kate lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. with her girlfriend. Kathryn Budig, and their two dogs.