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An Unexpected Life

A Memoir

THE DEFINITIVE MEMOIR FROM THE ICONIC FEMINIST LEGEND

'Gloria Steinem has long been, and will forever be, the light guiding the way for so many of us. Her energy, passion, clarity, and unrelenting optimism have invigorated generations of women to channel our rage into change. Her entire life has been a love letter and a battle cry. The fight is far from over, but she has instilled me with an absolute certainty that we can win.' Jameela Jamil


Before she was an iconic feminist leader, Gloria Steinem was a curious child in Toledo, Ohio: going on road trips with her itinerant father, caring for her mother, and reading everything she could get her hands on. As a girl, she would never imagine the journey on which her life would take her.

In An Unexpected Life, Steinem reflects on the unlikely experiences and pivotal moments - from a childhood rat bite that opened her eyes to the dangers of poverty to the landmark 1970 Women's March honouring the right to vote - that shaped the visionary woman she would become. Reflecting on her extraordinary experiences, she also honours the trailblazers who inspired her, and uncovers the most important lessons her life has taught her about love, solidarity and freedom.

Intimate, funny, and rich with hard-earned wisdom, An Unexpected Life offers readers the rare opportunity to learn directly from one of the world's most enduring voices, as we continue the work of building a better future.

An Unexpected Life is a luminous act of remembrance and generosity. Gloria Steinem writes with the clarity of someone who has lived many lives inside one: daughter, caregiver, traveler, organizer, writer, friend, witness and revolutionary. This is a fiercely beautiful book about how we survive, how we learn, how we keep faith with one another, and how an unexpected life can become a formidable force for freedom and connection.

Roxane Gay

About Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem is a writer, activist, pioneering journalist and cofounder of Ms. magazine. For more than sixty years she has been a central figure in feminist movements worldwide, shaping conversations about gender, power, and justice and is widely known to be one of the most influential feminist thinkers and writers alive today. Gloria’s previous books include the bestselling memoir My Life on the Road.


She currently lives in New York and has done for decades. Gloria’s home is the heart of Gloria’s Foundation and has become renowned as a magnetic and life-changing centre for feminists and activist thinkers from around the world.
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Details
  • Imprint: Ebury Press
  • ISBN: 9781807840433
  • Length: 192 pages
  • Price: £18.99
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