Cover Image: The Wartime Nanny

The Wartime Nanny

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Member Reviews

I love historical fiction. Yes i am selfdeclared HF nerd. But i did not get into this story. I liked the Main character and how she changed, from a naive young girl to a strong woman. But the story lacked something for me. Maybe it was too " cold" hard to say. But thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest review

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If you are a fan of WW2 you will love this as much as I did. The story begins with 63 year old Natalie Leeman who asks her daughter Patricia to locate a Hugo Caplin, a young boy who she was a nanny for for 3 years. The story then reverts back in time when Natalie leaves her family in Vienna to become Hugo's nanny as a teenager where she also connects with her cousin Leah. As war breaks out in Austria, Natalie attempts to get her family out with little success and begs many characters in the book to assist her. Then an incident happens which makes her flee the Caplin home and move in with Leah . I really liked this book with Natalie's connection to the little boy and her devotion and heartbreak when she had to leave him. A must read .

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A young girl is sent to a cold impersonal home to be a nanny just before the Nazi Regime is to take over her country. Her mother seen the handwriting on the wall, but unfortunately she didn’t get out nor did she get her other two daughters out in time. Poor Natalie is left to wonder what is happening to her family and to deal with this situation or issues with the English family she is residing currently.

Even though the actual storyline line is very good, the writing seems disconnected. I found myself putting the book down so many times because I felt that it was choppy or did not flow. It felt as though the dialogue was stilted and it was more a play.

However, the plot was great because I know that in other research this type of behavior was taken against evacuees from not only other countries but even from within their own cities to their countryside’s.

I received a advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

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This book centres around Natalie who travels to London from Vienna in 1936 to become a nanny to six year old Hugo Caplin. Natalie leaves behind her mother and two sisters and her friend Rudi, and misses them and the familiarity of home.

Natalie enjoys looking after Hugo which helps with her homesickness but with the advancement of the German army into Austria, Natalie has the added worry of her families safety. This book made me think of how difficult it was for Jews in World War 2 , even the ones who escaped from invaded countries had the added burden of not knowing what had happened to their loved ones and feeling guilty that they had escaped the terrors that others had not.

Natalies story is beautifully written, taking the reader on a journey to wartime Britain, it pulled at my heartstrings, educated me and left me marvelling at the perfect ending.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this beautiful book.
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What a unique story, told from a different perspective, I truly enjoyed every page of this book, fantastic storyline and characters. I will be recommending this book.

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I am in pieces!

There are many books about the Holocaust, but I have never read a book from this perspective. Natalie is a young Austrian who travels to England in 1938, leaving her family behind her. As the war looms, and Vienna falls under Nazi rule, time is running out for her family to escape.

I loved Natalie’s character from the first chapter and her earnest attempts to get to grips with English etiquette bring a gentle humour akin to that in Dear Mrs Bird. As the novel moves on to 1939, it get darker and I found myself racing through to see what would happen to Natalie in London and her family in Vienna. There are some incredibly poignant scenes (I cried!) and also moments which caused me to suck in my breath because of parallels between that period and the present day.

I have loved all of Lizzie Page's books, but this might be my favourite.

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An absolutely brilliant read that I devoured in one sitting. If like me you love war time sagas then this book is for you.

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I found this book quite hard to get into and did put it down a few times, however I picked it back up and after the first quarter of the book I found myself really enjoying it so my advice is to stick with the book. It doesn't grab you immediately but nonetheless it is a good story and quite moving in parts. Overall I would give this a 3 and a half stars. Thank you for allowing me to read it.

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I’m not really sure why I had such a hard time reading this book. The premise of the story was a strong one. But, it just seemed to ramble on and on until I found myself nodding off.
The story is about 17 year old Natalie moving from Austria to London to become a nanny to a young boy and eventually she became a translator.
As things become more and more dangerous for her family in Austria, Natalie has to grow up fast.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

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Again Lizzie writes with history embedded in the story. Which only makes it all the more interesting. I found it hard going to start with but kept going to find out what happened to Natalie, the nanny. Does she go with Erich or Rudi. Then there is Hugo, she loves him dearly for different reasons. Is Mrs Caplin what she seems. Intrigue.

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Wartime Nanny is about a 16-year-old Natalie who leaves her family in Austria to work as a domestic help in a wealthy British family when the world is about to witness Hitler's cruelty.
Natalie was from a Jewish family who barely spoke English, thus it was hard for her to adjust in London, where her sister already worked.
Natalie was happy to take care of Hugo, who was ignored by his parents but she constantly worried about her family back in Austria where the nazis were taking over. She soon brings her family to England too.
This story was heartbreaking and well written. For someone who loves anything World War 2 Historical Fiction, this book was an amazing read.

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If you read and enjoy family war-time saga's you will love this book.Lizzie Page writes such wonderful moving stories with great characters.

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Love Lizzie Page books and this once exceeds. If you enjoy family saga and wartime you will love this. a page turner very emotional in places

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Just finished this - absolutely loved it, of course! Another beautifully written and profoundly moving novel by Lizzie Page. Many thanks, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

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Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. During 1936, Natalie moved from Austria to London to become a nanny and a translater. Soon after Hitler invaded Austria and her Jewish family was now in danger. Can the family Natalie works for help her? Are they all that they appeared to be? This book was ok. It was a good story but it drug. #thewartimenanny #lizziepage #Sept2020

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A Jewish Girl in England

This story is about Natalie, an Austrian Jewish girl that left Austria to become a Nanny in England. Her cousin Leah was already working in England and urged Natalie and her family to leave Austria before Hitler took over. Natalie came to England, her family stayed in Austria.

Although the story is about The character Natalie it is also about those that left before Hitler and those that stayed behind.

It is about the burden the young people that managed to leave Austria felt to somehow get their families out. The steps they went to, and the failure they felt when they were unable to find help for their families. These young people lived with survivor’s guilt and some would take their lives.

The story tells of the anti semantic people in England. Those that pretended to be friends but we're not.
How they felt at times being called Nazi's because they spoke German and their struggle to be English to fit it.

They are horrified over the events happening to family and friends in Austria and unable to do anything to help them.

The lives they lived, their thoughts and feelings, and those they lived them with. The ones they would never see again and those that survived.

I loved this book. I loved the characters Natalie, Leah, Alfie, Clifford, Molly, Libby, Erich, Rudi and not to forget Hugo. They were such wonderful realistic characters.

I was captured from the beginning and read the book in two days. I had a hard time putting it down. The ending was perfect. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thanks to Lizzie Page, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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It is 1936 in Austria and things are heating up politically when Dora Leeman decides to send her almost 16-year-old daughter, Natalie, to England to work as a domestic for a wealthy family, the Caplins. Natalie is met by Mrs. Sanderson who is her cousin Leah's boss. Natalie is taken to the Caplin's estate where she will be a nanny to young Hugo who she immediately bonds with. Mrs, Caplin, Carolyn, is a wannabe actress and Mr. Caplin is either working at home all the time or away working. Natalie and Hugh form a strong bond as his parents pay little attention to him. Over the next 3 years, besides being busy with Hugo, Natalie is also working trying to get her remaining family members out of Austria. I enjoyed all the drama of the various characters in this book very much but I felt there were a few loose ends that were not quite tied up in the end, Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this very interesting book.

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The story begins when Natalie was 16 and leaves Austria to work as a nanny for a rich couple. Everybody tells her how lucky she is to escape Nazis in Austria. Soon becomes obvious that times are very dangerous, especially for Jews. I loved the story and the characters.

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1936, world is on the brink of the war and 16 year old Jewess Natalie Leeman leaves her family in Vienna and starts to work as a nanny in affluent family in London. Everybody tells her how lucky she is to escape Nazis in Austria, but at first she is very naive, almost ignorant about world situation and lives in somehow Polyanna state of mind.

Soon becomes obvious that times are very dangerous, especially for Jews and she tries to help her Austrian family by bringing them to London. That is far from easy. Slowly Natalie grows up.

What a delight this book is! I love it. It's very well researched, the story is relatable to our uncertain times and I hope we will all learn something from our history.

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I loved the story and the characters, especially Natalie and Hugo. The story begins when Natalie is 16 and leaves Austria to work as a nanny for a rich couple. It doesn't take her long to love her charge - a young boy named Hugo who was largely ignored by his mother and father. Natalie is a natural as a nanny - indulging Hugo's desire for games, sports, and just about everything. She becomes the center of his universe and he loves her. Natalie likes her job a lot ( except for the cleaning part!) but she is increasingly worried about her mother and her two sisters who remained in Austria while Hitler is coming to power in Germany and then Austria and other countries. Natalie realizes that she should have acted sooner in getting her relatives out, and by the time she begins actively seeking assistance there are so many Jews from Austria, Germany and other countries that she is only partially successful.

The story - heartbreaking at times- traces Natalie throughout her life - her feelings of guilt, falling in love, raising her family and hoping to reunite with her beloved Hugo at the end of her life.

This is the review I have posted on Goodreads. I gave the book 4.5 stars! A very enjoyable read!

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