Love, Reform And The Personal Side Of Politics
Katherine Zappone reflects on political life, reform and the deeply personal relationships that shaped her public work. Thoughtful and intimate, this memoir will appeal to readers interested in Irish social change as well as the emotional realities behind political action.
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Love in a Time of Politics
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Love, Reform And The Personal Side Of Politics
Katherine Zappone reflects on political life, reform and the deeply personal relationships that shaped her public work. Thoughtful and intimate, this memoir will appeal to readers interested in Irish social change as well as the emotional realities behind political action.
- Book Synopsis
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“Wise, moving, deeply honest.” MARY McALEESE
“Tender, funny, humane – a memoir of the courage it takes to lead change.” EMILIE PINE
“This is a love story that changed our country forever.” ALI HEWSON
During her second year as an Irish government minister, Katherine Zappone’s world was upended when her beloved wife, Ann Louise Gilligan, suffered a catastrophic brain haemorrhage. Their partnership had guided landmark Irish battles for marriage equality and reform of Ireland’s constitutional ban on abortion. But their greatest challenge now lay before them.
Love in a Time of Politics describes the cut-and-thrust of Katherine’s life in government – as hospital visits to Ann Louise became a daily reality. It recalls pivotal political moments – such as securing the dignified exhumation of the children’s remains at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home – alongside wrenching personal experiences – such as navigating grief following her wife’s death in 2017, and the controversies of 2021, following her time in government.
Ultimately, it is a deeply moving story of love and loss, and a testament to how resilience, hope and conviction can light even the darkest paths.
Ideal for readers who:
- Seek political memoirs where public change is inseparable from private feeling.
- Are interested in marriage equality, reform and life inside Irish politics.
- Want leadership, love and activism held together in one personal account.
- Prefer memoir that is candid, humane and closely tied to modern Irish history.
- About The Author
- Katherine Zappone is the first open, married lesbian in Irish politics. Appointed to the Seanad in 2011, she went on to win a seat in the Dáil in 2016 as an Independent Progressive. She negotiated with Fine Gael to join its government and was subsequently appointed Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Katherine brought her convictions and experience as a human rights advocate and educator to her work as a politician, influencing Fine Gael's social agenda for marriage equality and reproductive justice, and prompting its economic agenda to include combating children's poverty and reducing income inequality. She was the first politician to establish a legal entitlement for parents to receive economic support for childcare. Katherine's life-partnership and eventual marriage to her late spouse Ann Louise Gilligan shaped all of her political work. Theirs was an extraordinary love story. Prior to politics, Katherine and Ann Louise were known for the case they took against the Irish state to have their marriage recognized in Ireland. This legal action kick-started the marriage equality movement, resulting ultimately in a constitutional win in 2015.
- Product Details
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- ISBN
- 9781399747943
- Format
- Paperback
- Publisher
- Hachette Books Ireland, (25 September 2025)
- Number of Pages
- 336
- Weight
- 395 grams
- Language
- English
- Dimensions
- 232 x 152 x 28 mm
- Categories: