A vivid and candid picture of a British woman's life in Thailand in the 1950s: the politics, the coups d' tat, summary executions, cholera epidemics, religion, etiquette, manners, food, dress, education, and much more. From 1957 to 1961 Averin and Geoffrey Hinton were attached to the British Embassy in Bangkok. Geoffrey was officially a diplomat with the rank of 1st Secretary, but this was cover for his role as MI6 intelligence officer, though the letters give no hint of what he was really up to.Throughout the posting, Averin wrote round-robin letters to the family back in England, and most of these letters have survived. They show Averin throwing herself with gusto into the role of diplomat's wife, running a household with six or seven servants and their families, entertaining dignitaries, teaching English, mixing with royalty, all amidst an endless whirl of cocktail and dinner parties.