Flora!: A Woman in a Man's World

by Flora Macdonald, Geoffrey Stevens

Flora Isabel MacDonald – politician, humanitarian, adventurer, and role model for a generation of women – was known across Canada and beyond simply as Flora. In her memoir, co-authored by award-winning journalist and author Geoffrey Stevens, she tells her personal story for the very first time. Flora! describes her amazing journey from her childhood and her time at secretarial school in Cape Breton, through her years in backroom Progressive Conservative politics, to elected office and her appointment as Canada’s first female minister of foreign affairs. Finally, she details her exceptional humanitarian work in India and in war-torn Africa and Afghanistan. Flora was driven by a lifelong conviction that there is nothing a woman cannot achieve in a world controlled by men, and she pursued this conviction in everything she did, carving a path for women in Parliament. She won international acclaim for bringing 60,000 Vietnamese refugees to Canada, and for engineering the rescue of six American hostages in Tehran in a top-secret collaboration with the CIA known as the Canadian Caper. She exposed the inhumane treatment of inmates at Kingston’s Prison for Women. She defied male chauvinists in the Progressive Conservative party by running for its leadership, and she introduced the Employment Equity Act to guarantee women equal access to federal jobs. Flora was brave. She was relentless. She was controversial. She was a force of nature. In her own words and drawing from interviews with those who knew her, Flora! grants us insight into this exceptional woman who changed the course of history.

328 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2021

Reviews

[Margi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book five stars, as it’s a wonderful story of a remarkable woman. Flora was larger than life, and accomplished extraordinary things, which we would do well to remember.
HOWEVER, the audiobook is very poorly edited. Although the reader’s voice was very evocative of Flora’s, there are numerous errors in pronunciation, ends of words are cut off, and there are several instances of phrases being repeated. Very sloppy. It’s a shame, because this deserves much better treatment. I’m surprised at QMP and ECW Books.

[Rebecca Houle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. Flora Macdonald was a very interesting woman. It was mind boggling listening to what she had accomplished in politics, as well as humanitarian work around the world. Her passion for sustaining cultural in her home country of Canada, as well as around the world is well portrayed. I enjoyed listening to her travels around the globe. I am glad I found this audiobook. Such an adventurous, thoughtful, and strong willed individual.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this wonderful memoir 10 stars out of 5 I would. So I will. The indefatigable Flora shares the stories of her life - prior to politics, during her federal political adventures, and post-politics international grass roots advocacy for the rights of women. Her interactions with political personalities are described with gusto and glee, but all the while Flora herself seems happiest when she is enabling others to succeed. Politics for women is the toughest slog - no room for crying, as Flora says herself - and one's nose must be at the grindstone. I highly recommend this book for any woman considering a life in partisan politics. I'll let you read for yourself about her prickly relationship with John G. Diefenbaker!

[Tom Axworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flora MacDonald was, and still is, an inspiration. Born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, she was raised by her father to aspire to any goal she set rather than accepting what society preordained should be the role of women.She went to secretarial college( her family could not afford to send her to university), worked in the UK as a young woman, hitchhiked across Europe and North America and eventually followed the family tradition by actively working for the Conservative Party. She was the first woman to run for the leadership of the Conservative Party and became a senior minister in Conservative governments. Following her long life in politics she became even more active as a volunteer for international development working in Africa, India, Tibet and Afghanistan. In that capacity she nearly lost her life in Afghanistan
after a Taliban attack on her NGO group and at the age of 67 attempted to climb Mount Everest.
Flora died in 2015 and Geoffrey Stevens, a prominent journalist has done us all a favour by completing the memoir that Flora began.She lived a life of adventure and purpose. She overcame obstacles , never losing her ability to laugh,and succeeded hugely in what the book describes as " a Man's World".
.Her life made a difference and in our current times when despair has become the norm it warms the heart to read of a woman who had a zest for life and never gave up.

[Kate M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading about the incredible life of Flora MacDonald. I must admit I'm no fan of politics, in particular the politics of the right. However the life of this interesting woman more than made up for the boring political parts of the book. I was amazed at Flora's fearlessness from a young age, hitch hiking across Europe and North America. I was also impressed by her life after politics volunteering with aid agencies working in some of most dangerous parts of the world. It seems to me more should be done within Canada to celebrate the life of this remarkable Canadian.

[Angelica Tang · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an immigrant it was a great way to learn more of Canada's history. As a woman, it is interesting to see how far a strong woman can reach and sad to learn that the political environment has not changed too much yet.

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some interesting bits in this book regarding the political history. It was a bit of a draggy read at times.

[Alex Binkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good recounting of the life of an intriguing Canadian politician and many other things.