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The nanny diaries : a novel
McLaughlin, Emma.
Adult Fiction MCLAUGH
From Publishers' Weekly:
A blistering satire based on the real-life experiences of former New York City nannies McLaughlin and Kraus, this hilarious examination of the upper echelons of Manhattan society and the unlovable Park Avenue X family is flawlessly complemented by Roberts's limber, metamorphosing vocal performance. Depicted by the Academy Award winner's detached, patronizing tone, Mrs. X, a housewife, has little more to do than spend her adulterous, workaholic husband's seven-figure salary on manicures, designer clothes and floral arrangements. She delegates the care of her bratty four-year-old son, Grayer, and other small "errands" (e.g., shopping for a 50-guest dinner party) to an NYU grad student, Nan. Highlighting the disparity between the decadent, insular world of the Xs against the underpaid, disrespected one of the hired help surrounding them works especially well in audio, as Roberts acutely captures neglected Grayer's temper tantrums, piercing whines, inconsolable cries of "I want my mommy" and the hesitant tones and broken English of his playmate's caretakers. When the babysitter's "level of commitment" to the job is questioned and a developmental consultant is called in to handle the "deleterious self-esteem adjustment" her charge may have been set up for after failing to make it into a prestigious school, Roberts conveys Nan's struggle through readings alternately sarcastic, angry and falsely cheerful. This is a witty and thoroughly enjoyable production. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's hardcover (Forecasts, Feb. 25). (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
From Library Journal:
McLaughlin and Kraus spent a combined eight years nannying for wealthy families in New York City. What they witnessed has driven them to write an amusingly cutthroat novel based on their experiences. The main character named Nan, of course is nanny to four-year-old Grayer. Mrs. X, Grayer's mother and Nan's boss, is a snob of the highest order, spending so much time shopping and gossiping that she doesn't have a spare second for her child. Nan, however, is called upon to become Grayer's stand-in mom on countless occasions. Some of these episodes are hilarious, as when Nan has to dress in a full-size Teletubby outfit that matches Grayer's. And some are horribly sad, as when Grayer is ill and his own mother couldn't care less, leaving Nan to stay up all night with the feverish child. Nan has to ferry Grayer to countless lessons, make him meals of steamed organic kale and tofu, and protect him from the wrath of his uncaring parents. Looking through Nan's eyes into the lives of Manhattan's rich is a lot of fun she's biting. Film rights have already been sold to Miramax. Look for this to be a popular title. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/01.] Beth Gibbs, Davidson, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
McLaughlin, Emma.
Adult Fiction MCLAUGH
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From Publishers' Weekly:
A blistering satire based on the real-life experiences of former New York City nannies McLaughlin and Kraus, this hilarious examination of the upper echelons of Manhattan society and the unlovable Park Avenue X family is flawlessly complemented by Roberts's limber, metamorphosing vocal performance. Depicted by the Academy Award winner's detached, patronizing tone, Mrs. X, a housewife, has little more to do than spend her adulterous, workaholic husband's seven-figure salary on manicures, designer clothes and floral arrangements. She delegates the care of her bratty four-year-old son, Grayer, and other small "errands" (e.g., shopping for a 50-guest dinner party) to an NYU grad student, Nan. Highlighting the disparity between the decadent, insular world of the Xs against the underpaid, disrespected one of the hired help surrounding them works especially well in audio, as Roberts acutely captures neglected Grayer's temper tantrums, piercing whines, inconsolable cries of "I want my mommy" and the hesitant tones and broken English of his playmate's caretakers. When the babysitter's "level of commitment" to the job is questioned and a developmental consultant is called in to handle the "deleterious self-esteem adjustment" her charge may have been set up for after failing to make it into a prestigious school, Roberts conveys Nan's struggle through readings alternately sarcastic, angry and falsely cheerful. This is a witty and thoroughly enjoyable production. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's hardcover (Forecasts, Feb. 25). (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
From Library Journal:
McLaughlin and Kraus spent a combined eight years nannying for wealthy families in New York City. What they witnessed has driven them to write an amusingly cutthroat novel based on their experiences. The main character named Nan, of course is nanny to four-year-old Grayer. Mrs. X, Grayer's mother and Nan's boss, is a snob of the highest order, spending so much time shopping and gossiping that she doesn't have a spare second for her child. Nan, however, is called upon to become Grayer's stand-in mom on countless occasions. Some of these episodes are hilarious, as when Nan has to dress in a full-size Teletubby outfit that matches Grayer's. And some are horribly sad, as when Grayer is ill and his own mother couldn't care less, leaving Nan to stay up all night with the feverish child. Nan has to ferry Grayer to countless lessons, make him meals of steamed organic kale and tofu, and protect him from the wrath of his uncaring parents. Looking through Nan's eyes into the lives of Manhattan's rich is a lot of fun she's biting. Film rights have already been sold to Miramax. Look for this to be a popular title. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/01.] Beth Gibbs, Davidson, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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