The Perfect Nanny

THE PERFECT NANNY

by Leila Slimani

 

Nominations: Dublin Longlist 2020, LA Times Finalist 2018, NY Times Finalist 2018

 

Date Read: November 18, 2023

 

In an upper-middle class neighborhood in Paris, Myriam and Adam both have hectic and demanding careers that monopolize their time. Mila and Adam, their children, are almost second thoughts as they both pursue their own ambitions. After much searching, they find Louise, a nanny who comes highly recommended

 

Louise turns out to not just be a nanny but an accomplished cook, mender, cleaner and girl Friday. Myriam and Adam becomes spoiled, coming home to a clean house without a single thing misplaced. Best of all? Their children love Louise. As this novel opens with the deaths of the children, the reader can only wonder what makes this woman snap?

 

Myriam and Adam waffle in the their relationship with Louise between friendship and disgust. Their communication with her seems entirely lacking. They invite her on vacation and have a fun evening out with plenty of wine and laughs. But not long after returning home, Adam loses his shit when he finds Louise putting makeup on Mila.

 

Louise’s personal life is a shambles. When she’s not throwing herself headfirst into the Masses life, she lives in a studio apartment where she is seriously behind on the rent. Her husband, Jacques, is deceased, having left her with a tremendous amount of debt. Her daughter, Stephanie, ran off as a young teen, never to be heard from again. Her financial woes become so bad that the government sends a letter to Myriam and Adam that they will be garnishing her wages. This serves as yet another strike against Louise.

 

And Louise, terrifyingly, knows her time with this family is almost up. Mila is already in school and Adam will follow her in a few short months. She hangs her future hopes on Myriam and Adam conceiving another child, a child they clearly do not want. As Louise becomes more estranged from the couple and her financial woes continue to mount, we can see the pressure building until she snaps.

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