Emma McLaughlin

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. show more 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 X's' 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. Written by two former nannies, The Nanny Diaries deftly punctures the glamour of Manhattan's upper class. show less

This book was unreal. I know that Mrs. X is an amalgam of many women the two authors worked for, but even if each only exhibited one of the awful traits this woman does, she is unfit to breed. Mrs. X does absolutely nothing by herself. At the end of the book she is talking about buying a 2-room studio up a few floors so she can get away for some “me time”. This woman’s life is nothing but “me time”. If she ever had to do a single thing on her own, she would collapse into a show more gibbering mass of cellulite-free flesh.

I can hardly believe that people like this exist. She and her husband expect the child is something on order. Something they can put away into a box when they grow tired of it. That their son is an it with no thoughts or feelings. It would serve them imminently right if he grew up to be a psychopath. They take absolutely no pride in any portion of raising their son. It’s completely sick. I would have told off these people inside 5 minutes of knowing them.

But Nanny is desperate and she really does like the kid. It’s not his fault his parents are heartless monsters and that he’s had twice as many nannies as his age. All in all, though, he’s not portrayed as a bad kid. He’s going to be seriously fucked up though.

I felt no sympathy for Mrs. X when Mr. X was discovered to be cheating on her. What did she expect? Mr. X cheated on his first wife with her and she expects him to change? Not gonna happen. I would have been less protective of the bitch though and let her see it right up close. No hiding the truth from the Mrs. for me. show less

Chick lit that starts out deceptively "light", snarky, with brand name dropping and New York City settings. Our narrator is a senior at NYU, hardworking college girl amidst the ultra rich, Park Ave set - nanny to Mr./Mrs. X's 4 yr old boy Grayer... as one reviewer puts it: " 'The Bonfire of the Vanities' meets 'Mary Poppins' in this hilarious look at life as a nanny to the rich and fatuous. The authors have perfect pitch, and their every observation rings true. 'The Nanny Diaries' is social show more satire that's as moving as it is funny" - Jane Heller, back book cover. But oh how sad, sad, sad it is for the little boy - desperate for normalcy, for some loving attention from either parent, for a decent nap for gosh's sake... Nan, our protagonist, narrates everything with sly humor, self-deprecating observations, and sometimes careens into panic-stricken narration when crises erupt. I laughed in some parts, shook my head in disbelief at the incredible behavior of both Nan's employers, and couldn't wait to read the next chapter to see what new heights Nanny would be forced to climb to survive this job. show less

My Rating – 4 Stars

*I received a digital copy of this novel free from Netgalley on behalf of Atria Books*

Jamie just graduated from Vassar, several thousand dollars in debt (thanks student loans!) with no job prospects (thanks government!). She luckily landed an internship at the White House, which will at least look good on her resume.

She’s not well liked by her fellow interns, and her best friend is across the country. She’s lonely. She has no real plan besides possibly moving back show more home to live with mom and dad.

During a government furlough, the interns are forced to work double time and closer to the President. During a routine run to have paperwork dropped off, Jaime accidentally runs into the President while he’s having a panic attack. Having experienced panic attacks herself, she knows how to calm him down, so she does what any nice American citizen would do, and she helps him.

And he kisses her as a thank you.

Which leads to (I’m sure you can guess what it leads to, y’all are smart) an AFFAIR. The President is THE PRESIDENT. Can you turn him down? Not like Jamie wants to exactly, because she just wants someone to love her.

Jamie has a dysfunctional family. Her dad is an alcoholic; her sister is kinda mean and an alcoholic. Her mother is just...there. She grew up feeling kind of unloved and like she was second fiddle to her dad and sister’s issues. That’s not really an excuse for having an affair with a married man but it’s her reasoning.

Anyways, her first mistake is having an affair with a married President. Her second is telling so many people about it. (She tells three, THREE!). Also, he promises her a job but not really and she gets screwed and placed in another unpaid internship because The President’s adviser has gotten suspicious and wants her out of the White House.

They never actually have sex but engage in sex acts (and there are a couple Monica Lewinsky-ish things that happen with a coat and a shaving brush. If you don’t know who that is, google her).

Eventually it all comes crashing down around her during the Presidents trial about him another woman. Her “friends” basically set her up or abandoned her. And I don’t think I’m spoiling here because exactly how do you think a book about an affair with a married President is going to end?

I actually really liked this book. I hate cheating, I hate when cheating is justified in a book, and I really hate when the other woman knows about the wife. But there are no excuses in this book. There are very serious consequences for everyone’s actions.

Jaime is a very unsure, naïve girl. She just wants someone to pay attention to her and love her. Granted, she chose the wrong person but we all make mistakes, right? She actually fantasizes about becoming the FLOTUS but doesn’t really wish the President’s wife out of the picture because she would hate to see her hurt. Jaime thinks about how what they’ve done will affect the children. Once you figure out her back story you can kind of see why she would both make such a terrible decision involving a married man. She comes to something of a realization.

And of course Jaime also gets totally effed over; by the President, her supposed friends, the media, ex-boyfriends. So does anyone that’s ever had any connection to her.

Jaime pays for her mistake with her future; such is life for a woman though. The President still gets to be President and Jaime gets labeled a whore. That is commented on.

I really enjoyed this book. I recommend! (Unless cheating is a GGGRRRR thing for you that sends you into a rage. Then maybe skip it.)

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