In the Shadow of the Eighth: My Forty Years Working for Women’s Health in Ireland

Description

In over forty years in medicine – seven of these as Master of the National Maternity Hospital – obstetrician Peter Boylan was at the births of more than 6,000 babies. He saw women and families at their most vulnerable, their most joyous, and sometimes their most heart-broken.

In the Shadow of the Eighth is the story of how a young doctor without strong views on abortion became convinced that women should be trusted to make the right decisions for their lives – and how he then did everything in his power to bring about a situation where they could.

More than that, it is an engaging account of working in one of medicine’s most satisfying specialities, a revealing behind-the-scenes insight into what it’s like trying to make change happen, and a fascinating portrait of a society in transition.

Lively, gripping, sometimes enraging but always compassionate, Peter Boylan’s story is vital and encouraging reading for these turbulent times.

‘A hero to many (including me)’ @MarianKeyes

‘A fascinating story’ Matt Cooper, Today FM

‘The book is fabulous’ Pat Kenny, Newstalk