Gough had no small talk, Margaret had the gift of easy conversation. He was often ill-at-ease in company and preferred his books. She was warm, inclusive and jollied him along. He had a vicious tongue and a quick temper. She always tried to see the best in people. He knew everything about the ideology, history and heroes of the labour movement. She trusted her instincts.
They saw each other as equals and never hesitated to express their different viewpoints. He may have passed the laws that changed the nation, but she made it possible. This is a story of love, respect, struggle, success, failure, disappointment and resilience. The strength and endurance of this remarkable relationship helped change our nation politically, culturally and socially.
Neither Gough Whitlam nor Margaret Dovey would have developed into what each became without the influence of the other. Through every major political change, every election campaign, every triumph and every loss, they stood together. Margaret and Gough takes us inside a partnership where the political was always personal and the personal was always political.
