In the Shadow of the Eighth

My Forty Years Working for Women's Health in Ireland

in English, 181 pages,
Penguin Ireland, November 14, 2019
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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 specialties, 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.