The title, Unhistoric Acts, is inspired by the work of unheralded women in the 18th-century novel Middlemarch by George Elliot. Unhistoric Acts is a first hand account by long time advocate for the women’s movement Dianne Porter. Women’s equality in Prince Edward Island took time and tireless effort by numerous unsung heroes. Working together as a force for change, Porter honours the ‘unsung heroes’ of the movement with profiles of front-liners in the fields of early childhood education, politics and social services, which collectively were able to transform the landscape.

This social history takes the reader on a journey of progression in politics and social reform. As an advocate for change and a political advisor in the 1980s, Porter brings us behind-the-scenes to the conversations that finally put women’s equality on Prince Edward Island on the table — women in the workforce, child care, and setting up basic minimum standards.

This book will serve as an important historical document and primary source in the field of women’s studies.

Cover art by Ontario artist Beverley Hawksley.