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 employer's 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.

5/30: AAAAAHHH! This book wasn't a bad read, but I was so frustrated with the main character through the entire thing. What a freaking doormat this woman was! Then she finally gets some gumption at the end....and chickens out!!! AAAAAHHHH!

Thank you!


~~~Well, I have to agree. Nan was a big ol' doormat. Many times while reading this book, I wanted to quit because of that. But, I did read it to the end. Was a very quick read, altho I sorta expected a little more humor to it. Hope you enjoy it, next new reader.....

Released on Thursday, August 14, 2003 at To fellow BookCrosser in Round Rock, Texas USA.

Sending off to kikimasu to fulfill a wish.

Yay!!!!! I love having my wishes fulfilled! It's better than a Disneyworld commercial :) Thanks so much MsPooh. I've wanted to read this ever since it came out but I never got around to buying it. Thank you thank you thank you :)

I, too, expected this to be more comical. Everyone that described it in the media seemed to talk about how funny it was. I didn't find it funny at all. I found it frustrating and incredibly sad. There are so many children that this happens to and I hate it. As for Nan being a doormat...she is...but she is basically in a no win situation. She doesn't want to desert the child who depends on her, but she doesn't want to take crap from the mom either. I think she did the right thing in the end, but I don't know that it will do any good. Personally, I think I would have looked into getting a social worker on the case. It may not be physical abuse, but that kid is going through some serious emotional trauma.

Anyway...good read, but depressing. I've offered it as an RABCK. We'll see who takes it first :)

Released on Friday, October 17, 2003 at fellow BookCrosser in USPS, postal release USA.

Going out as an RABCK. Enjoy!!

Thanks for the RABCK.

I read this book a while back and I agree with everyone here, Nan was a doormat. I'm still waiting to watch the movie....

Anyways, I'm sending this book on to Mojosmom in a box of books.

Thanks for the chance to read this book, and sorry for keeping it on my bookshelf for so unbelievably long!

I've heard a lot about this book - good and bad - so I think I'll give it a try and form my own opinion! ;-))