The Perfect Nanny: A Novel

"Ah, The Perfect Nanny, I loved this book, I hated this book, this book changed me. Taking as its subject the murder of two children by their nanny, the novel starts with the crime and works backwards. What The Perfect Nanny does so incredibly well is plumb the essential relationship between parents and nanny — and really, mother and nanny. Our children are, to us, perfect — any other competing relationship must create imperfection in some way and point out our shortcomings as parents. Who would entrust their child to the world? None of us, truly — and yet all of us do. If you make it past the awful crime of the first chapter, you will be rewarded by a chillingly clever horror novel about class and parenting."