The wicked stepmother is a classic figure of literature. From "Cinderella" to "Hamlet", she is portrayed as an evil manipulator out to do down her husband's children. Reality is all too often the reverse, with stepchildren using all their cunning to do down daddy's new wife in a no holds barred, down and dirty fight to the death. Being on the receiving end of that kind of attack is no fun at all, as Fay's heroine can tell you. And tell you she does in her only solace - her secret diary that is her lifeline. Fay's unique insights into the workings of the female mind, her comprehensive knowledge of family relationships and her wisdom about life in general are all brought brilliantly to bear in this fairytale for our times.