"Who rides a tiger dare not dismount."

An embittered old woman dies, leaving not a penny to anyone in her family whom she accuses of ruining her life. Her grand-niece, Susan, takes fourteen volumes of Aunt Harriet's diary from the house, curious to read Harriet's story in her own words. What Susan finds is a lifestory more terrible than she could have imagined.

I love books like this that go back decades and tell what happened to people over years of their lives. Harriet is a Victorian lady, so most of the action takes place in the 1880s, with the rest in the 1940s when Susan discovers the truth of her great-aunt's life. (The book was published in 1946.) Great read! ( )