Nell

Released in Europe as "Nell" (hardback) this is a riveting autobiography of of Nell McCafferty, a journalist and activist from Derry, Ireland who was prominent in both the civil rights struggle in the North of Ireland and the women's movement in the Republic. She was a writer for the Irish Times for years covering the justice system and won awards for her series on the Children's Court. It's a wonderful book... she has a warm, down-to-earth style, somewhat self-deprecating, often wry and witty. But what really caught me was the first person accounts of things like Bloody Sunday and the Contraceptive Train. I was living in Ireland during these years and remember well the controversy surrounding the idea of women working after marriage and having a say in their reproductive rights. Nell McCafferty is a woman of tremendous courage and personal honesty who bore witness to some of the most important events of 20th century history.