Annie Besant

When Annie Besant (1847–1933) wrote in her 1893 Autobiography that her life was 'much attacked and slandered' she was only 45 years old, and many more controversies were yet to come. In this book, Besant charts her dramatic political and ethical awakenings, up to the point where she joined the Theosophical movement. She describes how she was unhappily married to a clergyman, contemplated suicide, embraced atheism, and legally separated from her husband. She recounts how she became a prolific writer and public speaker, joined the National Secular Society, was involved in the highly controversial publication of a birth control leaflet, and engaged in activism for workers' rights and home rule for Ireland. She also reflects on her own ideology and spirituality. Besant did much to shock and challenge Victorian society, and this book vividly portrays her struggles and successes.