By the age of ten, Monica McWilliams was dispensing payouts in her granny’s post office, book-keeping for her cattle-dealer father and leaving no one in any doubt that she could stand up for herself. She went on to break the mould in so many ways, as a woman, as an activist and as a politician. In this frank and fascinating memoir, she tells her extraordinary story for first time.

Now Emeritus Professor of the Transnational Justice Institute, Monica also chairs the Governing Board of the international NGO Interpeace and has worked with and for women in conflict societies including in South America and the Middle East. She is author of a number of journal articles, essays and reports on family and sexual matters; domestic violence; and human rights in Northern Ireland. This is her first book.