An Act of Love

One of Marie Fleming's last acts before she died from Multiple Sclerosis in late 2013 was to complete her memoir. A woman described by the High Court President as 'one of the most remarkable witnesses to come before the courts', during her landmark case against the Irish State to lift the ban on assisted suicide, here she tells the personal story behind the public face.

From her young years growing up in Donegal, as she struggled to keep her family together after her mother left, to her battle to keep her own first-born child, born when she herself was still a teenager, to her later quest for education and self-betterment, against the odds, AN ACT OF LOVE is an unforgettable story of ambition and of life lived to the full, of coming to terms with MS, and of sorrow and abiding love.

It's also the story of a court case which, although lost, nonetheless succeeded in bringing a crucial issue - a person's right to die with dignity - into keen public and political focus. Full of courage and quiet dignity, AN ACT OF LOVE is an outstanding book for our times.

“It is many years since I first read Marie Fleming's account of growing up in Donegal, but her story stayed with me and it is with a pang of great pride I see it finally in print, along with all the joys and sorrows that followed. The heart of a writer beats in these sentences, and a writer's hard work is seen on every page: tell it straight, keep it close, let people know. - Anne EnrightAn unflinching account of the relentless march of a dreadful disease...compelling - Irish Mail on SundayWritten in simple and forthright prose, [ An Act of Love ] depicts a formidable character who may have ultimately lost her legal battle but could count herself as a survivor in the truest sense of that word... Brave and touching - Sunday Business PostThere are books that should be written and books that need to be written and then there are books like An Act of Love , that push and fight their way out into the world against all the odds - Irish IndependentRemarkable - Irish Times”

It is many years since I first read Marie Fleming's account of growing up in Donegal, but her story stayed with me and it is with a pang of great pride I see it finally in print, along with all the joys and sorrows that followed. The heart of a writer beats in these sentences, and a writer's hard work is seen on every page: tell it straight, keep it close, let people know. - Anne Enright

An unflinching account of the relentless march of a dreadful disease...compelling - Irish Mail on Sunday

Written in simple and forthright prose, [An Act of Love] depicts a formidable character who may have ultimately lost her legal battle but could count herself as a survivor in the truest sense of that word... Brave and touching - Sunday Business Post

There are books that should be written and books that need to be written and then there are books like An Act of Love, that push and fight their way out into the world against all the odds - Irish Independent

Remarkable - Irish Times

Marie Fleming was born and raised in Donegal. She left school early and became a mother at just sixteen, before returning to college in her twenties where she later gained her MBA. In her mid thirties, she was diagnosed with MS, which led her to take a landmark case, years later in 2010, against the Irish State to lift the ban on assisted suicide. Although she lost her case, she gained a huge groundswell of public support and brought the 'right to die' issue into the forefront of public debate. Marie had two grown up children and lived in Woodenbridge, County Wicklow, with her partner and carer, Tom. Marie died from MS in December 2013.

One of Marie Fleming's last acts before she died from Multiple Sclerosis in late 2013 was to complete her memoir. A woman described by the High Court President as 'one of the most remarkable witnesses to come before the courts', during her landmark case against the Irish State to lift the ban on assisted suicide, here she tells the personal story behind the public face.From her young years growing up in Donegal, as she struggled to keep her family together after her mother left, to her battle to keep her own first-born child, born when she herself was still a teenager, to her later quest for education and self-betterment, against the odds, AN ACT OF LOVE is an unforgettable story of ambition and of life lived to the full, of coming to terms with MS, and of sorrow and abiding love.It's also the story of a court case which, although lost, nonetheless succeeded in bringing a crucial issue - a person's right to die with dignity - into keen public and political focus. Full of courage and quiet dignity, AN ACT OF LOVE is an outstanding book for our times.

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