The groundbreaking two-term President of Ireland tells the stories of her life
When a young Mary McAleese told a priest that she planned to become a lawyer,the priest dismissed the idea: she knew no one in the law,and she was female. The reality of what she went on to achieve - despite those obstacles,and despite a sectarian attack that forced her family to flee their home - is even more improbable.
In this luminous memoir,Mary McAleese traces that astonishing arc: from the tight streets of north Belfast,to a professorship in Dublin while still in her twenties,behind-the-scenes work on the peace process,and two triumphant terms as President of Ireland. She writes of her encounters with prime ministers,popes and royalty with the same easy candour and intimacy with which she describes her childhood. And her account of the latest act in her remarkable career - quietly pursuing a doctorate,and loudly opposing the misogyny of the Catholic Church - is inspiring.
Here's the Story is warm,witty,often surprising and relentlessly fascinating: an extraordinarily intimate memoir by one of the most remarkable public figures of our time.
Publisher: Penguin Books LtdISBN: 9780241986202Number of pages: 416Weight: 299 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 25 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'A fascinating story and well worth the read'-The Irish Times
'Riveting...A fiercely urgent reminder to the world - and the Government - that peace must never be sacrificed for politics'- The Telegraph
'Artful,entertaining and often enlightening - one of the few memoirs by a senior Irish office-holder that's actually worth reading'- The Sunday Times
'A meticulously researched and recorded history of the past half-century in Ireland and the story of a life passionately committed to working for peace'- TLS
'Full of conviction and isn't afraid of plain speaking...Priests,popes,paramilitaries and Ian Paisley are all held to account'- Herald Scotland
'Excellent'- Matt Cooper,The Irish Daily Mail
'A warm and witty insight into an extraordinary woman'- The Irish Daily Mail
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