Unless I am allowed to tell the story of my life in my own way, I cannot tell it at all.

Mary Seacole - traveller, nurse, businesswoman and radical for her time - defied a prejudiced British government to care for soldiers wounded during the Crimean War.

This ground breaking account, written by Seacole in 1857, brings to life her incredible journey from Jamaica to Central America and England, and then on to modern-day Ukraine, where she acted as nurse to injured soldiers while running her business, the 'British Hotel'. A witness to key battles, she gives vivid accounts of how she coped with disease, bombardment and other adversities during the Crimean War.

In this extraordinary autobiography, Seacole shows how she navigated her way through racial injustice, poverty and ignorance to become the first woman of colour in Britain to publish her memoirs. It is a testament to her enduring legacy.

Mary Jane Seacole (1805-1881) was a British-Jamaican nurse, healer and businesswoman who set up the 'British Hotel' behind the lines during the Crimean War.