This short novel shows a middle-aged woman who is very lonely, poor and under-educated. She does the work she loves though, looking after children in their own homes. She becomes very attached to all of her charges, and it seems that they all adore her.
This isn’t a story with a nice explanation or reason for a murder. It’s a lot like real life in that way: sometimes people become overwhelmed and can’t cope. It seemed obvious to me from early in that the nanny, Louise, had mental health problems. She seemed to be given full responsibility of two small children for a large part of the day, whilst their parents worked really long hours. I think the changing opinions of the parents don’t help her: one minute she can do no wrong and is an integral part of the family, the next, she’s ‘just’ the hired help. The ending isn’t wrapped up all nicely with a resolution. There’s no happy ending for any of them. Just like real life. I wasn’t surprised to learn that this could actually be based on the true story of a nanny murdering her employers children in much the same way, which made it all the more chilling.
If you’re not ok with reading about child murders, I’d steer well clear of this book, otherwise, it’s a very compelling read.
The Stone Cradle: One Woman's Search for the Truth Beyond Everyday Reality
Book
In this gripping true-life memoir, Patrice Chaplin returns to the ancient city of secrets, Girona -...
Saving Susie Belle: Rescued from the Horrors of a Puppy Farm, One Dog's Uplifting True Story
Book
In the week before Christmas, a dog snoozed on a bed beside a log burner; warm, safe and contented...
Bringing Down the Krays: Finally the Truth About Ronnie and Reggie by the Man Who Took Them Down
Book
'The Krays were out of control. They had the East End buttoned up too tight and someone had to undo...
Carl Jung
Book
Carl Gustav Jung (1875 - 1961), as well as being one of the pioneers of psychology, is one of the...
Carry on, Warrior: The Real Truth About Being a Woman
Book
Be inspired and empowered by Carry on, Warrior by Glennon Melton. Here's my hunch: nobody's secure,...
No Cake, No Jam: Hardship and Happiness in Wartime London
Book
No Cake, No Jam is the heart-warming true story of a little girl's London childhood during the...
The True Significance of Sacred Tradition and its Great Worth, by St. Raphael M. Hawaweeny: A Nineteenth-Century Orthodox Response to Roman Catholic and Protestant Missionaries in the East
Raphael M. Hawaweeny and Patrick Demetrios Viscuso
Book
Never before published, the theological thesis of St. Raphael Hawaweeny (1860 1915) is a fascinating...
The View from Here: On Affirmation, Attachment, and the Limits of Regret
Book
Must we always later regret actions that were wrong for us to perform at the time? Can there ever be...
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, #1)
7.5
Rate It
Book
Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a...