'I was riveted by every single page' ELIZABETH DAY 'Dazzling and surprising' CLOVER STROUD 'I
loved this book' JULIA SAMUEL 'Timely and important' JEANETTE WINTERSON How have secrets
changed over the generations and what does that tell us about ourselves and our world? In her
intimate new book bestselling social historian Juliet Nicolson uncovers one of the most
enigmatic yet revealing aspects of human behaviour. According to a leading American
psychotherapist most of us are keeping thirteen secrets at any one time. Secrets can thrill
but they are just as likely to torment and the deepest ones echo far down the generations.
The secrets we keep inside reflect the conventions and taboos of the world outside. As women
traditionally sit at the heart of family life their secrets can open a unique window onto
wider society. The Book of Revelations unlocks a period of significant transformation for women
from the restrictions just after the Second World War through the emancipation of the 1960s
and 1970s to the opportunities and dangers women meet online today. As we travel through time
we encounter deeply moving first-person stories rich social history and Juliet's own
experiences of secrecy. We witness long-buried family secrets shared at last their keepers set
free. Finally we are forced to wonder whether after a steady upwards curve of liberation our
daughters and granddaughters are once again in danger of being curtailed by censure caution
and fear. Or will they learn from the secrets of the past to find a more secure footing for
the future?
