The book recounts Margaret Powell’s journey starting at age fifteen as a kitchen maid, the lowest rank in the servant hierarchy. She details the grinding labor, which began at 5:30 am and ended after dark, involving tasks such as scrubbing vegetables, blacking stoves, and even ironing bootlaces. Born into a poor but loving family in Hove, she was forced to leave school despite passing an exam for a grammar school scholarship due to financial necessity. Her memoir is a collection of anecdotes and observations from the various houses where she worked, highlighting the strict class system, the often harsh treatment by employers and senior staff (like the cook above her), and the limited opportunities for social mobility. She eventually worked her way up to the position of cook before leaving service, marrying a milkman, and later pursuing education and a writing career.