Humbug

Lily grows up in a household that teaches her, from the earliest years, to distrust her own mind. Her wealthy parents see any thought she voices, any objection she raises, or any fancy she dreams up as sinful, and they allow no room for self-expression. They love her in their fashion yet barely attend to her, and the result is a child who is both cherished and overlooked.

As the story unfolds, Lily's vivid, sensitive and self-reliant nature is pressed into conformity at any price. The book is written by E. M. Delafield, the author best known for the Provincial Lady books.