A Dishwasher's Diary is the fictionalized diary of Rev. Joshua Thornbee. Thornbee ends up leaving the ministry after suffering a nervous breakdown. He then tries to find other work but has no luck. Finally, as last resort, he takes a job as a dishwasher at the restaurant that he used to go for local ministerial association luncheons. The diary is for the year he worked there and deals with subject ranging from his personal life, poetry, dreams, literature, history, romance, and special entries for holidays. It is truly a delightful read