'Nanny Diaries'...Nicely Done! (3.5 stars)

books:


	• The Nanny Diaries: A Novel Emma Mclaughlin, Nicola Kraus St. Martin's Griffin, 2003 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 1404 reviews view larger image
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'Nanny Diaries'...Nicely Done! (3.5 stars)

A good mix of satire and social commentary, with a poignant ending!
Most of the critics seemed to miss the point that this was a novel, and that the experiences are not taken directly from the lives of the two nannies. Presumably, they swapped enough stories among themselves and other caregivers, and found a (somewhat) believable framework to include everything here.
There are some nitpicks, already mentioned in great detail, about the characters' names. The main character actually being named 'Nanny' doesn't ruin the story, although the 'X' references wear thin pretty fast!
A touching scene between Nanny and a colleague from Central America is cheapened a bit by a throwaway line later in the story, explaining away that character's job status. Some of the attention given to the on-again, off-again romance of Nanny and 'H.H.', and the rest of her personal life seems somewhat wasted, considering the direction the story takes. And some sections, particularly those set during winter, seem like one long sequence of Nanny taking off one jacket and putting on another!
But the main conflict, between Nanny's devotion to her job vs. her pride, is well-developed here. It's obvious that she's staying not for her sake, or her employers', but for 'Grover'. The end of Nanny's association with the X's may not satisfy readers who wanted more 'closure' and a tidy farewell between Nanny and the little guy. Those who wish she'd just stood up to her employers sooner have a point, but this book requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief in spite of its attempt to be 'realistic'.
The personality quirks of most characters are a bit too 'stereotypically New York' at times, with Nanny's family coming off as flaky yet still somewhat likeable, while Nanny herself seems shallow and superficial when the story focuses on her life away from her job. That said, there were some very funny moments, especially in the opening chapter, riffing on all the micro-managed, pre-arranged 'activities' and 'play dates', and the silly names that certain parents love to give their kids.
The criticism of the X's and their selfish materialsim is valid, but, like their 'hidden' real names, the idea is overdone.
Nanny's final 'telling off' of her bosses didn't satisy many reviewers, but I enjoyed it...though I also thought that her 'revised' farewell message showed that she was finally growing up a bit. While the ultimate fate of both Grover and Nanny is left up in the air, readers should just be able to enjoy what there is of this story.

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Great Storytelling

This was a great, quick read. Very clever and well-written. My only gripe is that Nan didn't set things straight with Mrs. X in person at the end. The manner in which she blew off steam was kind of cowardly and anticlimactic. Otherwise, a fun, creative story!

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Wanted:
One young woman to take care of four-year-old boy. Must be cheerful, enthusiastic and selfless?bordering on masochistic. Must relish sixteen-hour shifts with a deliberately nap-deprived preschooler. Must love getting thrown up on, literally and figuratively, by everyone in his family. Must enjoy the delicious anticipation of ridiculously erratic pay. Mostly, must love being treated like fungus found growing out of employers Hermès bag. Those who take it personally need not apply.

Who wouldn?t want this job? Struggling to graduate from NYU and afford her microscopic studio apartment, Nanny takes a position caring for the only son of the wealthy X family. She rapidly learns the insane amount of juggling involved to ensure that a Park Avenue wife who doesn?t work, cook, clean, or raise her own child has a smooth day.

When the Xs marriage begins to disintegrate, Nanny ends up involved way beyond the bounds of human decency or good taste. Her tenure with the X family becomes a nearly impossible mission to maintain the mental health of their four-year-old, her own integrity and, most importantly, her sense of humor. Over nine tense months, Mrs. X and Nanny perform the age-old dance of decorum and power as they test the limits of modern-day servitude.

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