This book,first published in 1893,contains a candid description of the first forty-two years of Annie Besant's life: a relatively happy childhood, and unfortunate marriage, followed by domestic, social, religious and political trials and tribulations. It reveals her remarkable courage and a strong sense of social justice.

She meant her autobiography to be a source of encouragement for others:....since all of us have the same anxieties, the same griefs...the same ....desire for knowledge. It may well be that the story of one may help all, and that the tale of one soul that went out alone into the darkness..that struggled through the Storm and on the other side found peace, may bring some ray of light and peace into the darkness and the storm of other lives'.

In the preface to the third impression of the book, she gives an overall view of her life and work during the following nineteen years of her life (1889-1908).

This autobiography is a shining example of the unlimited potential of one who is convinced of his or her goal.