Life was a wordless battle of wits between us with her keeping a sharp look-out for signs of neglect & me trying to disguise my slovenliness by subterfuge. I became an adept at sweeping dust under the bed & always used the same few pieces of silver. Unimpressed by the world of debutante balls Monica Dickens shocked her family by getting a job. With no experience whatsoever she gained employment as a cook-general. Monicas cooking & cleaning skills left much to be desired & her first few positions were short lived but soon she started to hold her own. Monica discovered the pleasure of daily banter with the milkman & grocers boy & the joy of doing an honest days work all the while keeping a wry eye on the childish pique of her employers. One Pair of Hands" is a fascinating & thoroughly entertaining insight into worlds both upstairs & down in the early 1930s."