How have secrets changed over the generations, and what does that tell us about ourselves and our world? In her beautifully written, 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. Until, finally, we are forced to wonder: after a steady upwards curve of liberation, are our daughters and granddaughters 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