Edith Howland's diary is her most precious possession. After moving with
her family from New York City to suburban Pennsylvania, Edith's husband
abandons her for a younger woman, leaving her trapped in a bleak
existence with her degenerate son and his senile uncle. As Edith's life
turns sour, she retreats into her writing; and while her life plunges
into chaos, a disturbing tale of success and happiness blooms in her
diary. She invents a happy life, and as she knits for imaginary
grandchildren, the real world recedes further still, marking a descent
into madness that may well be unstoppable.
Originally published in 1977, Edith's Diary is a masterpiece of
psychological suspense, a harrowing and tautly written tale of an
ordinary woman whose life is slipping out of control. The author of
Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith
is one of the most original voices in twentieth-century American
fiction.