The Ireland of the early 1980s was on the brink of enormous change - but in small towns fear of scandal could easily lead the well meaning into making decisions that led to loss, pain and isolation among the most vulnerable, with a heavy-handed bureaucracy behind the scenes that seemed to lose sight of humane values when it came to the deepest bond of all: the love of mother and child.
In this self-effacing and emotionally frank account, a successful businesswoman and proud mother of four, Eithne Ring, leads readers back to a time when pushing a pram down the street without a ring on your finger was seen as an affront to Civilisation - with hell to pay for those who stepped out of line.