Despite being a two-time recipient of a Governor-General's Literary Award and the author of Earth and High Heaven - the acclaimed wartime novel that soared to number one on the New York Times bestseller list - Gwethalyn Graham slipped into relative obscurity. In this compelling biography, Barbara Meadowcraft seeks to restore Graham to her rightful place in the annals of Canadian literary and cultural history. Writer, feminist, and social activist, and at the heart of Montreal's intellectual community in the 1930s and '40s, Graham was outspoken in her exploration of such issues as racial intolerance and anti-Semitism at a time when few other Canadian writers dared to be. She was also enthusiastic about Quebec's "revolution tranquille," insisting that English Canada must strive to accommodate the aspirations of the Quebecois. Sadly, Graham's promising career was cut short by her death from brain cancer at age 52. This discerning and engaging look at Graham's life and work captures the essence of this remarkably accomplished and inspired woman who defied convention, fought for social justice, and fearlessly challenged contemporary prejudicial thinking.

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Barbara Meadowcroft holds a PhD in Canadian Literature from McGill University. Since 1988 she has been a research associate at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute at Concordia University. She is the author of Painting Friends: The Beaver Hall Women Painters (Vehicule Press, 1999).