Jean Devanny—author, political activist, and women's liberationist—was a leading figure in Australia's political and literary life, yet this remarkable biography is the first full account of her life and times. In the turbulent political climate of the 1930s, Devanny joined the Communist Party and rapidly became a redoubtable public speaker. A fiery figure, she clashed with the party line on events in Europe during World War II and under Stalin and had bitter disputes with party leaders over her “open” marriage and rumored love affairs. Obliged to write novels to support her family, she developed friendships with notable writers like Katharine Susannah Prichard, Miles Franklin, and Frank Hardy. Her interest in issues of race, gender, and sexuality makes her a writer of great contemporary interest. Carole Ferrier's impressive biography uses oral history material from people who knew Devanny as well as drawing extensively on unpublished archives and manuscripts.