Name: Lacy W's review of The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
Item: The Nanny Diaries
Rating: 4
Author: Lacy W

Emma McLaughlin

Nicola Kraus

Nan has a tricky relationship with her employer, Mrs X. A non-existent relationship with Mr X. But she loves their little boy, Grayer, to pieces. In between looking after four-year-old Grayer and running a thousand errands for Mrs X, his rich, uptight Manhattanite mother, Nan is trying to have some sort of life. There's college, shopping, her friends, her cat, George. And the gorgeous Harvard boy from the sixth floor . . . But the X family's dramas keep intruding - visits from Mrs X's predatory mistress, catastrophic family outings and, as a final straw, the case of marriage-destroying panties. As drama descends into disaster and Divorce looms, Nan begins to realize how attached she's become to the X's under-loved son - and how nannying has become more than just a job. Funny, touching and true-to-life, 'The Nanny Diaries' is a modern-day Mary Poppins story: with attitude.

A Novel

The Nanny Diaries

Julia McKenzie

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 pre-schooler 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 Hermes 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. The Nanny Diaries deftly skewers the manner in which America's over-privileged raise les petites over-privileged-as if grooming them for a Best in Show competition. Written by two former nannies, this alternately comic and poignant satire punctures the glamour of Manhattan's upper class.

Lacy W

This will be a short little review because the book was relatively short being only 300 pages. It doesn't really have anything serious to discuss or any glaring flaws. 

This book follows the nine month span of Nanny's (the MC) job caring for the Xes child, Grayer. In all reality, it's a chronicle of how used and abused Nan is while she is trying to finish school at NYU. It's a chronicle of just how awful some people can be simply because they have money and view themselves as better, even though their life could be falling apart. 

As for the main character, I liked Nan at some parts and not on other. Allow me to elaborate. Nan's inner monologue was funny. She has razor sharp wit and is the definition of a struggling college student, which I can relate to on a personal level. But man, she just let people walk all over her. She allows Mrs. X to talk to her in such a degrading tone. Her mom constantly complained about her job and how she should be doing something better than taking care of children. Her own roommate kicks her out and Nan just lets it happen. I wanted to shake Nan and tell her to stop letting people walk all over her!

Overall, this book was pretty great. I rated it high because of Nan's razor sharp wit and the fact that it was a fun and quick read. It's nothing to take seriously. If you're looking for something fuzzy to read in between books, then this is the book for you.

Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Draus

The Nanny Diaries (Nanny #1)

Jaymie Lemke

Sarah Escorsa

I thought this would be just another 'chick lit' type book but it wasn't at all and was a surprisingly good, interesting read! The story was somewhat depressing when it was supposed to be funny: I felt really bad for poor Grayer because of the way his parents completely ignored him; and when I think of all the 'poor little rich kids' out there, it just breaks my heart to think of how lonely they must feel... I know this is just a book but I'm pretty sure it pictures life in those circles fairly accurately. The ending is a bit abrupt but it didn't bother me that much, I felt it added reality to the book by avoiding an "all's well that ends well" type ending.

Great book. Can't wait to see what the movie is like.

**6/22/10 edit: I'm reading this again. I read the sequel a few months ago and have watched the movie a couple times. I'm just in the mood to re-read this one. :)

Julia McKenzie &
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin

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Julia McKenzie &The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin

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Julia McKenzie &
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin