That is a really good point. We shouldn't forget that we are supposed to read her diary. As others mentioned, I think Parable of Talent really adds to her character, since we get the perspectives of other people, like her daughter, who sees her mother in a much different way.

Here are some of my favorite character driven scifi books. If you haven't checked them out I highly recommend them.

Murderbot Diarys by Martha Wells

Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers (her novellas are great too)

Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal

Also Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler has amazing character work in my opinion, though I wouldn't call it purely character driven. But it is an amazing book.