A Joyous Transformation marks the end of Anaïs Nin's 35,000-page diary, the publication of which began in 1966 with the heavily edited Diary of Anaïs Nin. It chronicles Nin's final years, which were spent in the glow of newfound fame and at battle with the disease that would end her life, one of the most highly-documented and fascinating in modern literature. Included are revelations that were excised from the final volume of The Diary of Anaïs Nin, which covers the same period: Nin's relationships with husband Hugh (Hugo) Guiler and lover Rupert Pole, including Pole's infidelity; the toll her popularity and grueling lecture schedule placed on her; and details of how she coped with and railed against cancer, which destroyed her body at a time when she could have been continuing her work and enjoying its rewards. The diary ends with an astounding correspondence between Guiler and Pole, both of whom, contrary to popular belief, were well aware of each other before Nin's death in 1977.
Following in the tradition of Henry and June (1986), Incest (1992), Fire (1995), Nearer the Moon (1996), Mirages(2013), Trapeze (2017), and The Diary of Others (2021), A Joyous Transition tells stories that were left out of The Diary of Anaïs Nin. The publication of the unexpurgated diaries was one of Nin's final wishes and one of Rupert Pole's unfulfilled goals. At long last, the series is complete.