An Unexpected Life

Gloria Steinem offers an inspiring and candid memoir of her early life and her path to becoming one of the world’s most influential activists and storytellers, alongside a clear-eyed, urgent message for new generations about what the next chapters of the fight for equality will demand

Before she was an iconic feminist leader, Gloria Steinem was a curious child in Toledo, Ohio: going on road trips with her itinerant father, caring for her mother, and reading everything she could get her hands on. 

In An Unexpected Life, Steinem reflects on the unlikely experiences and pivotal moments--from a childhood rat bite that opened her eyes to the dangers of poverty to the 1970 Women's March honoring the right to vote--that shaped the visionary woman she would become. She reflects on her years living in India, learning from the nonviolent movement there, and on her travels around the world speaking for women's betterment. She also honors the people who influenced her most, including trailblazers, writers, and thinkers who expanded her understanding of power, community, justice, and solidarity.

Moving between past and present, Steinem examines the progress and setbacks of the last sixty years of activism. As she reflects on the movements she helped build and the victories won for women’s and human rights, she also looks ahead, urging new generations to imagine bolder, more inclusive paths forward.

Intimate, funny, and rich with hard-earned wisdom, An Unexpected Life offers readers the rare opportunity to learn directly from one of feminism’s most enduring voices as we continue the work of building a better future for all.