Politically Defined: Memoir of an Unknown Activist tells the story of Dinah Yessne, a girl and woman of independence, who took risks and survived losses over fifty years of political and social justice activities and campaigns that shaped her character and defined her life.

Growing up in St. Paul, Minnesota, raised by parents active in the Progressive Movement of the 1940s and 50s, Yessne set off early on a quest for peace and justice that would range from civil rights and anti-war activity to advocacy on behalf of people living in poverty, to local, state, and national election campaigns, including two of her own.

A feminist at her core but a champion for underrepresented people of all types, Yessne's life is a lesson in how one ordinary person can make things better for many.