The Book of Revelations
A History of the Secrets Women Keep and Tell from the 1950s to the Present Day
Published on 7. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-1-5299-6715-9 (ISBN)
Description
'Utterly engrossing and timely' INDIA KNIGHT
'A true act of bravery and sisterhood' ELIZABETH DAY
'Fascinating...truly valuable' JULIA SAMUEL
'I gobbled this book up. It's a gem' HELEN BONHAM CARTER
A fascinating blend of social history and first-person stories looking at women and their secrets - and what they tell us about our changing times
Do you want to know a secret?
The average person is keeping thirteen secrets at any one time, five of which they've never shared with a soul. A secret can thrill one person and destroy another; and the deepest ones echo far down the generations.
The Book of Revelations is a book about the secrets women keep: the ones they are forced into, the ones they hold through shame, and the ones they share. Told through a kaleidoscopic blend of first-person stories and memoir, from the 'silent generation' of women in the 1950s to the influencers of the 2020s, we witness long-buried family secrets aired at last and the repercussions which occur when women who have been forced to keep quiet find their voice. Finally, we are compelled to wonder whether women are once again in danger of being silenced by censure, caution and fear.
'A fascinating hybrid of memoir and social history... transforms the highly personal into something universal' London Standard
'A time-travelling investigation... it has a depth charge and a sense of the now that is so timely and important' Jeanette Winterson
'A true act of bravery and sisterhood' ELIZABETH DAY
'Fascinating...truly valuable' JULIA SAMUEL
'I gobbled this book up. It's a gem' HELEN BONHAM CARTER
A fascinating blend of social history and first-person stories looking at women and their secrets - and what they tell us about our changing times
Do you want to know a secret?
The average person is keeping thirteen secrets at any one time, five of which they've never shared with a soul. A secret can thrill one person and destroy another; and the deepest ones echo far down the generations.
The Book of Revelations is a book about the secrets women keep: the ones they are forced into, the ones they hold through shame, and the ones they share. Told through a kaleidoscopic blend of first-person stories and memoir, from the 'silent generation' of women in the 1950s to the influencers of the 2020s, we witness long-buried family secrets aired at last and the repercussions which occur when women who have been forced to keep quiet find their voice. Finally, we are compelled to wonder whether women are once again in danger of being silenced by censure, caution and fear.
'A fascinating hybrid of memoir and social history... transforms the highly personal into something universal' London Standard
'A time-travelling investigation... it has a depth charge and a sense of the now that is so timely and important' Jeanette Winterson
Reviews / Votes
Utterly engrossing and timely... told with immense empathy, intelligence and compassion... an important work of social history and as gripping as a beach read. I cannot recommend it highly enough -- INDIA KNIGHT * Sunday Times * A book about the stories we don't tell, written with such truth-telling compulsion and compassionate honesty... 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 was changed by the experience of reading it -- CLOVER STROUD I gobbled this book up. It's a gem, packed with nuggets I wanted to share. Nicolson is brilliant at contextualising personal stories in the bigger historical picture. All the women we meet are heroines, and their honesty is inspiring -- HELENA BONHAM-CARTER A time-travelling investigation... Juliet Nicolson's book has a depth charge and a sense of the now that is so timely and important -- JEANETTE WINTERSON This is a truly exquisite tapestry of stories expertly woven with such care, kindness and compassion. I was devastated by it and uplifted by it in equal measure. An homage not just to women but to anyone who has ever felt the weight of keeping a secret that needs to be shared. Beautiful -- DENISE GOUGH 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, author of Every Family Has a Story A fascinating hybrid of memoir and social history... transforms the highly personal into something universal -- India Block * London Standard * An intriguing book with an unusual narrative * iNews * Bold, brave and brilliant -- JUSTINE PICARDIE, author of Miss Dior One of my favorite recent books -- WILLIAM NORWICH 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.... A precious testament to sisterhood and trust -- HANNAH DAWSON, author 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 -- MIRANDA SEYMOUR, author of I Used to Live Here Once I read this straight through with the excitement of reading a detective story... I cannot recommend it too highly -- ANTONIA FRASER, author of Marie Antoinette: The Journey Kept me up until 3 in the morning. Absolutely topical. Unputdownable. An amazing book -- ANNABEL GOLDSMITH A triumph - shocking, brave, compellingly readable and of clear importance -- PHILIP NORMAN A truly fascinating read * Kent Life, *Books of the Year* *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 129 mm
Width: 197 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
270 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5299-6715-9 (9781529967159)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2025
Vintage Digital
€8.99
Available for download
Book
10/2025
Chatto & Windus
€27.50
Available immediately
Person
Juliet Nicolson is the bestselling author of three works of social history, The Perfect Summer: Dancing into Shadow in 1911; The Great Silence: 1918-1920 Living in the Shadow of the Great War; and Frostquake: The frozen winter of 1962 and how Britain emerged a different country; as well as a family memoir, A House Full of Daughters. She is a mother and a grandmother and lives with her husband in East Sussex.