'Life was a wordless and unacknowledged battle of wits between us, with her keeping a sharp look-out for signs of dirt and neglect, and me trying to disguise my slovenliness by subterfuge. I became an adept at sweeping dust under the bed, and always used the same few pieces of silver, so that I didn't have to keep polishing the rest.'Unimpressed by the world of debutante balls, Monica Dickens shocked her family by getting a job. And so, with no experience, she began her life as a maid-of-all-work in the 1930s. Monica's cooking and cleaning skills certainly left much to be desired, and she got sacked from her first few positions, but she soon started to hold her own behind the green baize door.Keeping a wry eye on the selfishness and childish pique of her employers, Monica discovered the enjoyment that comes from daily banter with the milkman and grocer's boy and the joy of doing well an honest day's work. One Pair of Hands is a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining insight into worlds both upstairs and down by a very courageous young girl.