Holly B / Dressedtoread

#BookReview: The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani @PenguinBooks #ThePerfectNanny

35301485My Review…

Buddy read with Laurie from Cozynookbks.

You will learn how the story ends on the first page of the novel. And my stomach was in knots as I read it.

Told in third person from different view points, we learn how the unspeakable ending unfolded. So we are basically going back and learning just what transpired before the tragedy. The author writes in a poetic way using descriptions that I could visualize, smell and emotionally react too. It was creepy at times with a hint of the dread to come.

Myriam and Paul are the parents of two young children. They are living in a flat in Paris and Myriam makes the decision to resume her career and becomes a criminal defense lawyer (ironically). They think they have found a “perfect” nanny named Louise. They hire her and she immediately impresses them by doing such a great job taking care of the kids, cleaning and even cooking.

Louise has created a home of peace and harmony, but as we begin to learn of her past (through flashbacks of her former life) and we see disturbing scenes. She begins to do very strange things that upset Myriam and Paul, but they have grown to depend on her help. As the story progresses, you begin to see what the parents do not and the end may leave you with more questions than answers.

I’ll be interested in reading more from this author as I enjoyed her writing style. I thought it was effective in giving this story a very eerie tone. I will say that I was left feeling heartbroken and yearning to know the real truth.

 

Book Description…

When Myriam, a mother and brilliant French-Moroccan lawyer, decides to return to work, she and her husband are forced to look for a caretaker for their two young children. They are thrilled to find Louise: the perfect nanny right from the start. Louise sings to the children, cleans the family’s beautiful apartment in Paris’s upscale tenth arrondissement, stays late whenever asked, and hosts enviable kiddie parties. But as the couple and the nanny become more dependent on each other, jealousy, resentment, and frustrations mount, shattering the idyllic tableau.

 

 

28 comments

    • Thank you Erin and it was chilling. I still have thoughts about it (weeks later). Truly makes one think about who is caring for their children.

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