Una Mullally

I heard about it in the days leading up to the Irish abortion referendum and couldn't not read it. It's a collection of essays, fiction, poems and personal stories inspired by the horrible abortion restrictions placed on women in Ireland, and the fight to repeal the problematic (misogynistic, barbaric, etc) 8th Amendment. The referendum was last week, and the Republic of Ireland did the right thing. I reserve celebration until actual change occurs, but that's a pretty awesome thing. This book was a great primer for someone like me who is fairly ignorant not just about Irish women's rights, but about Ireland in general. It was definitely a stirring battle cry, and a reminder that though the referendum in the Republic has been won, there is still a long way to go (especially for the women of Northern Ireland, who are not covered by the result of the vote). It was also really informative about the political position of reproductive rights more generally. On a bookish level, like many collections it had some standout pieces and some which didn't really grab me, but it was a short read and kept my attention all the way through.… (meer)