A Long Journey: An autobiography by Frieda Brewster

This autobiography is an account of Frieda Brewster’s remarkable life. She was born in America to socialist immigrant parents from Croatia. The journey begins with her childhood in Pittsburgh, her left-wing student activism, her experience of the Great Depression when she had to leave university and her campaigning with the American Communist party. Here she met and at the age of 18 married a Scottish Communist, Pat Devine, who was arrested for leading trade union action. After spending a year in jail, he was deported to Scotland. Frieda went with him and a new chapter of her journey unfolds

She settled in the UK where she spent the rest of her life. Her account here centres around her life as an active Communist. She details her fascinating experiences in the Soviet Union; her activity as a courier for the Communist International movement (Comintern), where she delivered money to anti-fascist groups in Germany in the 1930s and to the Communist Party in China.

After the birth of her son, she continued her political activities in the UK. She worked at the central headquarters of the British Communist Party for a number of years. She played an active role at the centre for the recruitment and support for the British volunteers to the International Brigade fighting fascism in the Spanish Civil war. During this period, she was also involved in campaigns in her local area, including the demonstrations against the rising British Fascist moment of Oswald Mosely and the battle of Cable Street.

After the war she trained as a primary school teacher. She had a daughter, divorced her husband and remarried. She was active in her union and CND, became interested in and supportive of the Women’s Liberation Movement and demonstrated at Greenham Common.

She retained her socialist convictions throughout her life and shares interesting reflections on convulsions in the Communist movement. She became a committed Euro Communist, convinced of the need for a democratic route to Socialism.

This is not at all a dry outline of a life but rather a lively, personal and moving account of a woman’s experiences, struggles, both personal and political, and of her personal growth.