When Elizabeth begins working as a maid in the Leaf household it is the start of a new chapter for them all. Elizabeth is clumsy, sullen, unteachable.but still waters run deep and this girl will become the steady rock around which the little family can cling when times are hard and tragedy strikes. Dinah Craik was one of the most popular writers of the 19th century, blending heart-warming stories with acute, funny, down-to-earth observations. Her stories show real people in real situations, coping with adversity according to their personality. The great strength of Mistress and Maid is in its portrayal of women, alone in the world with no one to support them, who must rely on their own talents in a society which expects them to fade into the background. In this book, even the unlikeable characters are recognisable and no one is portrayed without us seeing the whole of them, good or bad. With rich illustrations throughout, this is the large print edition.