We Set the Night on Fire: Igniting the Gay Revolution by Martha Shelley is a memoir that chronicles Shelley's life as a lesbian feminist activist and co-founder of the Gay Liberation Front: Family history Shelley's story begins with her parents and grandparents fleeing anti-Semitism, and her own childhood in Brooklyn as the daughter of undocumented immigrants. Activism Shelley's activism began with the civil rights movement, anti-Vietnam War, and Second Wave lesbian feminism. She became a public speaker for the Daughters of Bilitis, organized the first gay march after the Stonewall Riots, and co-founded the Gay Liberation Front. LGBTQ civil rights movement Shelley's story highlights the importance of solidarity across race, gender, and sexualities to challenge hatred. Memoir style The book is divided into 43 short vignettes that include reflections on Shelley's family history, friends, romantic partners, and other significant figures. Some say that Shelley's memoir is a fast-paced journey through history that illuminates the past through the eyes of a key activist. Others describe it as a funny and thoughtful memoir that reminds readers of how hatred can harm lives.