Amazon rating: 3.5/5

Goodreads rating: 3.6/5

AllandAbout rating: 4/5

The baby is dead. It took only a few seconds.

When Myriam, a French-Moroccan lawyer, decides to return to work after having children, she and her husband look for the perfect caretaker for their two young children. They never dreamed they would find Louise: a quiet, polite and devoted woman who sings to their children, cleans the family’s chic apartment in Paris’s upscale tenth arrondissement, stays late without complaint and is able to host enviable birthday parties.

The couple and nanny become more dependent on each other. But as jealousy, resentment and suspicions increase, Myriam and Paul’s idyllic tableau is shattered…

Our Review: Subtle, Claustrophobic, Disturbing

It’s easy to see why this novel won France’s prestigious literary prize, the Prix Goncourt. It’s an incredibly subtle character exploration, written to make you feel like you’re watching the slow destruction of a family from inside their own four walls.

I read the book in two days and now it’s over, I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time. It’s the kind of story that will resonate with parents, especially us expat parents, who are so reliant on help to make our households and families work. So many times, I’ve heard myself explain to friends back home why I have a nanny. Oh, you know, my family are far away… I might as well take advantage of how things work in Qatar… everyone has a nanny here… I need to focus on my career…

But the truth is, having a nanny is a luxury, and it makes life easier. This is the case for Myriam and Paul, who look for a nanny to help them with their two small children, Mila, 4 and Adam, still a baby. Myriam is desperate to go back to work, to find a purpose in her life, to be herself again, a woman, a person- not just a Mum. And Paul… Paul doesn’t understand why his wife can’t just be happy at home, but he goes along with it, with shrug-of-the-shoulders-what-can-you-do attitude.

When they find Louise, their lives change. The children are happy and cared for. The house is tidy and spotless. They don’t have to worry about staying late at work, or not managing to make it home in time for bedtime. Instead, they find what they perceive to be a fantastic balance. They breathe. They trust.

I won’t tell you anything else about the story, except that the wonderful, nurturing Nanny-Louise, is not everything she seems to be.

The story starts at the end, when the worst has already happened. You know what to expect as you’re reading, but you still become more and more horrified, more and more disturbed as the intense narrative draws on. And yes, it made me question my own parenting choices.

I loved it. Leila Slimani

There are other themes running throughout the novel. Rich vs. poor, social standings and class divides, immigrants, parenthood and mental health. Everything is subtle. Everything grows on you. Everything builds up and sparks and then burns.

I was lucky enough to meet Leila Slimani at a literary festival last summer. She’s half-Moroccan, half-French, and I found her to be mild-mannered and polite. Her bio at the end of the novel sent a tiny chill down my spine. I’ll let you read the novel to find out why.

So why only 4 stars? Because there were times when I still felt as though I was reading a translation, although this is a very minor point.

Available in kindle or paperback format on www.amazon.co.uk or www.amazon.com

Our regular reviewer, Johanna Handley is the author of psychological thriller, The Burning of Juniper Slaide, is available to buy on www.amazon.co.uk. She has also just set up her own literary consultancy, helping writers become authors, and guiding them through the novel-writing process at www.struttliteraryconsultants.com.