215,000 women in the UK belong to the WI. Their membership crosses class and has recently begun to recruit huge numbers of young women. This book reveals how they are, and always were, a force to be reckoned with.

Set against the background of the campaign for women to win the vote, this is a story of the ordinary people effecting extraordinary change.

In this brief introduction Jane Robinson explores Butler's fascinating life and describes how her progressive politics, her anger at injustice and her passionate Christianity combined to create a vibrant legacy that lasts to this day.