The Perfect Nanny, (Paperback)

from nancyjean19

In part because of how it was marketed, this book was more subtle than I expected. For centering around such a gruesome crime, it's a surprisingly delicate exploration of class, race, mental health, and loneliness. I think the light touch made it understandable that the family could let go of som...

from seasonsoflove

This book is the definition of chilling. Slimani tells readers in the very first sentence exactly what the end of this story is going to be, but somehow manages to keep the suspense at both a slow burn and a fever pitch. On the surface, this is the tale of a family who hires a nanny, Louise, when...

from Acia

I read the portuguese version, translated by Sandra M. Stroparo and attended a talk with Leila Slamani in Sao Paulo, where she explained her motivation for writing the book and the process involved. As a mother, I was very interested in the subject matter. Not only the ambiguity of motherhood but...

from bogopea

I found the story compelling as the beginning told us how it would end. It focuses on parents with two kids who hire a nanny so that the wife can return to work. At first she is perfect. Then not so much. The focus is on the nanny as the book flashbacked to her life prior to becoming one. So we s...

from cmt100

Well constructed and tightly written, but its main strength is the creation of the characters. As I read it I thought, well, this is good, but I don't see why the NYT (and others) chose it as one of the 10 best books of the year. But with some distance, the book rose in my esteem. For one thing, ...