Book: Buy The Nanny Diaries: A Novel Online

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The authors, former nannies themselves, have a disclaimer at the front of the book stating that the characters written are completely ficticious and not based on any particular past employer. This must be why the main character's name is simply "Nanny", and her employers are "Mr. and Mrs. X". Nanny has just been hired by the wealthy Xes to look after their son Grayer. She is to replace the old nanny, who had the audacity to request a week off to visit her sick sister in Australia. Nanny is just looking to keep her rent money coming in while completing her senior year at NYC, but soon finds that she is drawn to poor little Grayer, who at times can be a pill, but for the most part is just a poor little rich kid who wants his parents to notice him. Mrs. X spends most of her time shopping, planning dinner parties (in the hopes that her absentee/workaholic husband just might spend time with them), and volunteering on several committees. Nanny is used to the explicit demands Mrs. X requests for Grayer, and is not surprised when Mrs. X constantly asks her to do extra chores she wasn't hired for (like picking up Mrs. X's dry cleaning, picking up about 12 different items for a 30 people dinner party, or even escorting Grayer and the Xes to a fancy executive Halloween bash dressed as a giant Teletubby- one of the funniest passages in the book). Or, she'll show up 2 hours past the time she told Nanny she'd be home, leaving Nanny little more than 15 minutes to get to a school to give a speech that will determine whether she passes or fails. Nanny feels it's worth it, though, when the envelope of cash comes at the end of the week ("most nannies are paid under the table", she tells us).

Even so, Nanny gets more than she bargained for when, at the Halloween bash, she and Grayer walk in on Mr. X and his Chicago executive (whom the book simply calls "Ms. Chicago")making out. Mr. X acts as if mothing is amiss, and Nanny is left to question whether or not she should report this infidelity to his wife. Slowly, Mrs. X begins to get her own suspicions, and Grayer begins to fall apart under the obvious cloud of neglect and dread that his father has stirred up. Nanny wants to run, but feels obligated to navigate these treacherous adult waters for Grayer, hoping things will calm down on their own. Meanwhile, she's also fallen for a Harvard student that lives in the Xes building, leaving Mrs. X to treat her badly and hurl rude comments at her because she is jealous of the happiness Nanny is finding with a guy. Hhhmph! How can Nanny tread through these tumultuous waters and still graduate from NYC? You'll have to find out for yourself. I read this book in less than 48 hours because I couldn't wait to find out what outrageous thing Mrs. X would come up with next. After listening to my sis-in-law's horror stories, I found that I wasn't surprised about the Xes shannanigans. All in all, a very interesting look into the frustrating world of raising someone elses children under extreme conditions.

This look into the wierd, but for them normal, world of the very wealthy who live on the island of Manhatten, should be pause for concern amongst those of us who have been raised by our parents, sent to public schools and more or less believed that is how it is generally done.

The child in this case is a four year old by the name of Grayer. We ae never told how he gets this unusual name, but we assume it has family roots attached. Grayer, is a somewhat spoiled, somewhat screwed up litle boy when the protagonist of the novel is hired to be his "nanny" during the normal 8-5 day of the city dweller. However, as "Nanny" quickly learns, she is there as much to protect Greyer from the rules and regulations of his overbearing mother as anything else.

It is sad to think that the children of the very rich in this country are raised in such a defective cocoon, but reading about it is as fascinating as I can possibly describe.

What makes the book is how the authors describe the experience. There is little I can say to prepare you for it, except to cite the old Bette Davis chestnut, "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride." This was one of the most fascinating books I have read in some time. If you are looking for a book that will carry you away for a bit, teach you about a segment of society you are unlikely to ever be a part of and entertain your thoroughly in the process, this is your book. Buy it. Read it. Love it. Loan it.

Mr. and Mrs. X were horrible people and we were not supposed to like them but I thought I could care for the main character Nanny. I do not believe there is a person in this world who would continue to work for these people with the dedication she had. After receiving Ear Muffs as her Christmas present which Nanny was highly upset over, she searched the apartment late at night with her friends so Mrs. X wouldn't find Mr. X's mistresses unmentionables in her bedroom, she stayed up all night with the kid when he was sick, went on vacation with them and was expected to watch everyone's kids and than we find out that she had to wait for her pay and ask for it. This was too unreal for me and I had no sympathy what so ever for Nanny. I did have sympathy for the child and I wondered how come nobody took this kid to therapy which he obviously was in bad need of.

I did give this book 3 stars because I did feel there were a few laughs and it was a fast read but this is not something I would recommend to anyone.