In 1944, when Harriet Keyserling arrived in the small South Carolina town of Beaufort, she found herself in an environment foreign to her. Coming to Beaufort with her husband - a native son and local physician - she was a liberal northerner in the conservative South and a Jew in a predominantly Christian world. These religious and political differences only intensified her feelings of being an outsider - a thread that would run through much of her life and career.

Against the Tide traces, in Keyserling's own words, her journey into the world of "good ol' boy" Southern politics and her labors to reform the political system in South Carolina. It is the story of a woman who arrived a Yankee liberal and became an effective eight-term legislator in the South Carolina House of Representatives. She served for sixteen years then retired in 1992, when the rancor and partisanship of the legislature became intolerable for her.

Against the Tide describes the intensely personal journey of an unconventional politician struggling for self-confidence, overcoming odds, and making a lasting difference. At a time when the political tide is again turning, Harriet Keyserling proves that one person can effect change in spite of overwhelming obstacles.