'Parties are like pigs. You can't push them, only lead them, and if it will run itself, so much the better for everyone'

Do you dread dinner parties? Is your catering catastrophic? Ethelind Fearon is here to help. In this charming 1950s guidebook you'll find suggestions for cocktails rated by technical difficulty (GVC = good and cheap; NN = not for novices), ideas for party games (how about a cork race?), as well as some of the most unappetising recipes known to mankind - Liver Flan with curried cheese, anyone? Hilarious yet indispensable, The Reluctant Hostess will ensure you achieve excellence in all your entertaining.