This is the edited diary of a year in the life of the author. Newly separated, she takes a farming job on a country estate in the South of England. Not only must she come to terms with her new home on the estate, and caring for her children by herself, but she must also learn the multifarious skills necessary for her to succeed as a relief milker. In the male-dominated farming community of 1980s Britain, she must work hard – and tread carefully – to earn the respect of her male colleagues. To her dismay, her hard-won acceptance is jeopardised when she realises that she is attracted to her employer, John, the farm manager.