What the Nanny Saw

By: Fiona Neill

Narrated by: Alison Larkin

It's the summer of 2008. For the past decade, Nick and Bryony Skinner and their four children have ridden high on the economic boom, but their luck is about to run out. Suddenly, the privileged family finds itself at the center of a financial scandal: Their Central London house is besieged by the press, Nick disappears, and Bryony and the children become virtual prisoners in their own home. And Ali, their trusted nanny, watches it all. As the babysitter, she brings a unique insider-outsider perspective to the family, seeing far more than even the family itself is capable of. But when a reporter with a personal connection to the story comes asking her for the inside scoop, will Ali remain loyal to the family who never saw her as anything other than the help? Or will she tell her side?

Written with Fiona Neill's delicious humor and addictive style, What the Nanny Saw is a keenly observed, often comical chronicle of the urban wealthy elite, of parents who are often too busy to notice what is going on under their own noses, of children left to their own devices, and of a young nanny thrown into a role she doesn't know how to play. It is a morality tale of our time, a tale of betrayal, the corrosive influence of too much money, and why good people sometimes do bad things.

©2012 Fiona Neill (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"After an uberwealthy London family gets embroiled in a financial scandal following the 2008 crash, the trusted babysitter is the one holding all the secrets. Neill's engrossing and funny novel lives up to the titillating title." ( Entertainment Weekly)

Better than I was expecting!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I thought this was going to be a light, nanny-mummy beach read, but it really wasn't. The story was much more substantial. The characters were very well rounded and I enjoyed Alison Larkin's performance.

interesting tale about the lives of the very rich

Would you try another book from Fiona Neill and/or Alison Larkin?

yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of What the Nanny Saw?

the nanny trying to navigate the unknown world of the very rich

Which character – as performed by Alison Larkin – was your favorite?

the czech nannies

Was What the Nanny Saw worth the listening time?

yes

Any additional comments?

the back and forth of the story line was a bit confusing at times but overall a good book

Dramatic, irresistible narration of scandal

Would you listen to What the Nanny Saw again? Why?

Alison Larkin brings a range of accents and personalities to life in a unique way that makes you want to keep all the characters interacting forever so of course I would listen again.

Larkin is especially good at giving you a sense of the Nanny as she tries to figure out what is going on as the financial world collapses around her, and her own heart leads her astray.

Listening to this story you don't want anyone that Larkin has so beautifully brought to life to go away!

What was one of the most memorable moments of What the Nanny Saw?

Larkin by her performance leads the listener into the heart of the Nanny, and the moment when the Nanny reaches deep to help out her employer--despite the fact that she recently fired her--is such a memorable moment is this audio book.

Which scene was your favorite?

Larkin is able to make interesting even the most complex financial dealings, but my favorite scene was when the Nanny kisses someone she shouldn't. Larkin brings that rare gift of making such a transformative and passionate scene ring true.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Larkin gave me a powerful feeling for the struggle of the Nanny to be true to her own ideals as she tried to figure out the best way forward in the dangerous world of money, sex, family and job.

Any additional comments?

Only Larkin could have handled all the accents and personalities and given each their own inidividual and pwerful characters that gave them such a hold on me.

I was hooked from her first word she spoke as I listened, and never wanted to let go!

Fun Read!

The narrator was enjoyable to listen to. She gave great voices to each character. Listening to the story I felt like I was part of the family.

Sounded interesting- not worth your time

Any additional comments?

This book held a lot of financial talk. I felt like that was the majority of the book, although that was a critical part of the story line. However, the overall story line had a lot of depth it was simply dull. It lacked deep intruique. I found myself half listening most of the time, when there have been other audio books that have captivated my whole attention.

Fun read

What made the experience of listening to What the Nanny Saw the most enjoyable?

The reader was very good and the story was fun fiction mixed in with a bit of reality.

What other book might you compare What the Nanny Saw to and why?

Bridget Jones Diary

Which character – as performed by Alison Larkin – was your favorite?

The wife

What didn't the Nanny see?

Where does What the Nanny Saw rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed this audio. It took me a while to get into the book but after an hour or so, I was hooked. What the Nanny Saw is layered with story after story. I didn't want it to end.

What was one of the most memorable moments of What the Nanny Saw?

There are a few moments that lead up to Ali finally seeing things for what they are. Each moment is complicated by her polar reactions; one of wanting to stay and care for the children and the other of needing to detach and separate. I found the story development and the iterative process of both clinging and detaching from the family she cared for really interesting.

Which character – as performed by Alison Larkin – was your favorite?

All of them. Alison Larkin is a really amazing narrator. I first heard her in The English American and fell in love with the book and her voice, and I now keep an eye out for any audio book narrated by her.

Any additional comments?

This was well worth the credit! This book could have been autobiographical - so much of it felt authentic, and just as in real life the bankers that caused a global meltdown got away with it all. I would have liked to see them hang, or at the very least go to jail, but alas, I guess that would have not made for a nice ending.

entertaining

Story was pretty good - reading about the rich and spoiled (in London) - a nice "twist" to it as well. It makes you wonder - how "much" money can destroy people - and how much "stuff" do people really need?? How about just being happy and healthy? You can only hire people to do "so much" - and money can't buy you happiness - is the lesson I got from the story. The narration was great!

Interesting point-of-view of the financial crisis

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It was fun to see the excesses of the early 2000s of those in the financial markets. It was a bit tragic to see them try to hold on to that money when the housing market crashed.

Very stupid

Don't waste your time or brain power on this stupid story. Amazing this found a publisher