A funny, life-affirming memoir, in diary form. Set in the manic world of a busy teacher, and based on real experiences, Fran Hill's account of one typical year shows it's not just the pupils who misbehave.

English teacher 'Miss' starts the Autumn term beleaguered by self-doubts. She's mid-menopause, insomniac, and Mirror and Bathroom Scales are blisteringly unsympathetic. Her pupils make her laugh, weep, fume and despair, often in the same lesson. Her unremitting workload blights family time and she feels guilty for missing church events to catch up on marking. After all, God-lady is watching.

Meanwhile, the new Head of Department seems unreachable, an Ofsted inspection looms, her sixth formers (against school policy) insist on sitting in rows, and there's a school magazine to produce ...

When childhood secrets demand attention Miss doesn't want to give them, life gets complicated.