Writer and artist Barbara Hanrahan kept diaries from her late teens to her untimely death at the age of fifty-two. They chronicle her turbulent personal development and her passionate engagement with literature and art. With disconcerting honesty she describes her intense relationships with her family, her partner and her friends. Spontaneous outpourings of enthusiasm alternate with doubts, bitterness and regret about her work, herself and the people she meets. After achieving recognition as an artist and writer, Barbara was torn between commercial demands and her own desire for a creative, spiritual life apart from from the world. In her last years she straggled to fulfil her artistic responsibilities and to anticipate with joy the adventure of death. her battle with cancer is movingly told, revealing a strength and determination that are inspirational.