When in Doubt, Do Both: The Times of My Life

Lin Good, formerly an associate librarian at Queen’s University, is
currently a consultant.

This delightful, vivid memoir reveals a modest, witty person who has
enjoyed a rich and passionate life. Born in England in 1913, Kay
Macpherson came to Montreal in 1935 to work as a physiotherapist. In
1941 she moved to Fredericton, where she tried to ease the pain that
polio inflicted on its victims and then fought for changes in public
health and preventive medicine.

That was the beginning of a long career devoted to social causes,
particularly to the feminist and peace movements. Macpherson’s
wide-ranging interests included the Voice of Women, the National Action
Committee on the Status of Women, and the Association of Women Electors
of Metropolitan Toronto. Her campaigns took her to the Soviet Union,
Mexico, Australia, Cyprus, and Greece, and brought her friendship and a
sense of accomplishment, which she writes about in an evocative personal
style. Her shrewd political observations indicate that she would have
been an asset in government, but unfortunately her attempts to get
elected failed.

Those who have lived through this recent period of Canada’s social
history will undoubtedly enjoy the book and appreciate Macpherson’s
enthusiasm, optimism, and resilient spirit.