One Pair of Feet cover art

One Pair of Feet

Virago Modern Classics

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One Pair of Feet

By: Monica Dickens, Lissa Evans
Narrated by: Katy Sobey
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About this listen

INTRODUCED BY LISSA EVANS

Considering herself unsuitable for any other contribution to the war effort, Monica Dickens opts for nursing, imagining herself gliding through the wards, serene in a pure white halo cap. On enrolment, however, she is promptly stripped of all illusions. Intelligent and headstrong, Monica struggles to submit to the iron rule of the Matron and toils over 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.

One Pair of Feet is a witty and brilliantly observed autobiographical novel, based upon Monica Dickens's own trials and tribulations as a wartime nurse.

If you enjoyed One Pair of Feet, you will love the novel that followed it. My Turn to Make the Tea, Monica Dickens's lively and entertaining novel about life as a cub reporter on a regional newspaper, is also published as a Virago Modern Classic.

©1942 Monica Dickens (P)2022 Hachette Audio UK Medical Military Professionals & Academics War

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Critic reviews

"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)

"A brilliantly funny account of the first and only year of her training to be a nurse." (Elizabeth Bowen)
All stars
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One of Monica Dickens' 2 best books, together with 1 Pair of Hands. Highly entertaining and amusing.

Monica Dickens at her best

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This is a hugely entertaining book . Very funny . I read it years ago and it was really good to hear it on Audible . Monica Dickens is a very good writer. I’ve enjoyed reading ‘One Pair of Hands’ as well. She inherited some of her great grandfather’s talent The narrator is brilliant and just right for the story. So much so that I will look for any other books she might have narrated

Very entertaining and very well narrated

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I read this many years ago before becoming a nurse in 1980. I have thoroughly enjoyed becoming reacquainted with it and surprised by how many of the rules and practices still existed in what I considered a much more ‘enlightened’ profession! The descriptions of night duty fatigue, busy wards and hospital politics are very accurate and as relevant today. The patients could as well have been the ones I met in my career. I love her eye for detail and minute descriptions.

Enjoyable

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I chose this audiobook as it had received a positive write-up by a usually accurate newspaper reviewer. It was not worth a credit. The girlishly breathless reading style of Katy Sobey was very annoying, and although I finished the book, it was very much a case of sheer bloody mindedness. Nothing new to add re wartime, nursing training, nasty Sisters and/or rationing and poor diets. Poor.

A poor story

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