This is the stirring prison memoir of Ma Thida—surgeon, activist, writer, and recipient of several international human rights awards. From childhood, Ma Thida dreamed of helping others—caring for the sick, not bowing to the threat of censorship, and standing up for people’s rights. She became an indomitable supporter of efforts to stand against the political oppression that had been stifling the country’s progress for decades.

She joined Aung San Suu Kyi and the many other activists in the National League for Democracy, campaigning for the cause of freedom despite intimidation, harassment, and worse. Because of her efforts, the regime sent her to Insein Prison, where she faced serious illness and bleak conditions. However, it was in fighting the obstacles of her imprisonment and following the Buddha’s teachings that Ma Thida found what it means to be truly free. In this memoir, readers join Ma Thida on her path through captivity and witness one remarkable woman’s courageous quest for truth and dignity.