The Book of Revelations
Women and Their Secrets from the 1950s to the Present
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Publishing:2nd Oct '25
£22.00
This title is due to be published on 2nd October, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
'I was riveted by every single page' ELIZABETH DAY
'A dazzling and surprising book' CLOVER STROUD
'I loved this book' JULIA SAMUEL
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?
‘An amazing achievement – teeming with life, vivid history rolling alongside personal stories. It has a thrilling energy, and the great release and relief of telling the truth and being heard. A precious testament to sisterhood and trust’ Hannah Dawson, editor of The Penguin Book of Feminist Writing
A book about the stories we don’t tell, written with such truth-telling compulsion and compassionate honesty that I was riveted by every single page. Juliet Nicolson writes beautifully about the constraints, pains and joys of womanhood and her clear-sightedness when she reveals the secrets in her own life is a true act of bravery and sisterhood -- ELIZABETH DAY
With incredible intimacy and deep compassion, Juliet Nicolson has woven together the stories that make our lives, but which so often remain hidden... This is a dazzling and surprising book, and I left it changed by the experience of reading it -- CLOVER STROUD
I loved this book. The combination of personal, social and historical is fascinating, and beautifully done. The range and quality of its psychological insights make it truly valuable -- JULIA SAMUEL
A gripping exploration of the secrets women keep. Raw, revealing and deeply human, The Book of Revelations is a bold ode to womanhood, love, and freedom -- MIREILLE HARPER, author of Timelines from Black History
An amazing achievement - teeming with life, vivid history rolling alongside personal stories. It has a thrilling energy, and the great release and relief of telling the truth and being heard. A precious testament to sisterhood and trust -- Hannah Dawson, editor of The Penguin Book of Feminist Writing
Juliet Nicolson is a hugely gifted social historian, one who never fails to startle a gripped reader into a new understanding of familiar ground. Here, exploring the impact of secret-keeping on the courageous, troubled and often heroic women who trusted Juliet to tell their extraordinary stories for the first time, she has once again found a marvellous subject and made it all her own -- MIRANDA SEYMOUR
I am a voracious reader but Juliet Nicolson’s book is the only one that has ever kept me up until 3 in the morning. Absolutely topical. Unputdownable. An amazing book -- ANNABEL GOLDSMITH
I read this straight through with the excitement of reading a detective story... I cannot recommend it too highly -- ANTONIA FRASER
A triumph – shocking, brave, compellingly readable and of clear importance -- PHILIP NORMAN
ISBN: 9781784745318
Dimensions: 222mm x 138mm x 40mm
Weight: 500g
368 pages