One Pair of Feet: ''I envy anyone yet to discover the joy of Monica Dickens ... she''s blissfully funny'' Nina Stibbe

One Pair of Feet is not just a spirited and entertaining account of the training of a hospital nurse in wartime but a fascinating glimpse into a time and a culture so recent and yet so utterly changed'' Marina Lewycka

As the effects of the war raging in Europe begin to be felt at home in London, Monica Dickens decides to do her bit and to pursue a new career, and so enrols as a student nurse at a hospital in rural Hertfordshire. By nature clever and spirited, she struggles to submit to the iron rule of the Matron and Sisters, and is alternately infuriated and charmed by her patients. That''s not to mention the mountains of menial work that are a trainee''s lot. But there are friends among the staff and patients, night-time escapades to dances with dashing army men, and her secret writing project to keep her going.

''A brilliantly funny account'' Elizabeth Bowen