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The Lindbergh Nanny

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Member Reviews

This was such a fantastic read! I've loved her other historical books (which I do hope that series continues) and this one sounded really great, so of course I had to pick it up! I didn't know at first that this was a real case, that this happened in real life, but oh, did that make everything sadder!

Honestly, Mr. Lindbergh was a bit of an asshole. Going in knowing that Charlie was going to disappear, and when does, and it turns out that Mr. Lindbergh moved him, that was not cool. And sure, this is a fictional account, and it might not have happened, but then there's some questionable political stances that he held, at least from a modern perspective. And the author does talk about how he had some pretty horrible views.

At first, there was the mystery of what happened to Betty, the synopsis tells us that it was a love affair gone wrong, but not how, or what happened there. So that was interesting. And then Charlie was taken, and that mystery, that was heartbreaking!

Part of this book is the set up, of her time with Charlie. Then it's about his disappearance, and the investigation, and everything that happens after that. The question of who tipped off the kidnapper that they were there, and the guilt...oh. Betty was such a fantastic character to read about, surrounded by these horrible circumstances!

This was a wonderful mystery, and I can't wait to read more by Mariah Fredericks!

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Thank you to St. Martin’s Books and Minotaur Press for the review copy of this book. I really liked The Lindbergh Nanny. I really didn’t know much of the details surrounding the actual kidnapping and I thought the author wove together mostly facts with some fiction wonderfully. It was well researched and well written. I would definitely recommend.

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I enjoyed this book! The aspects of historical fiction mixed with mystery was a great balance. This was a tragic event in history and I feel like the book was written well.

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I think we have all heard of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping even though it happened in the early 1930's. I'm not even sure how I heard of it, basically all I knew was it was a rich couple, and he was a famous aviator, and they had a darling baby boy with blond curls who was kidnapped.
Reading this book has given me more of an insight into what happened.
Quoted from the book, " The Lindbergh Nanny is not a work on investigative nonfiction. It is a novel, based on biographies, histories of the case, and a range of sources including websites dedicated to the crime."
I invite you to do your own research into this case for more information if you have the interest.
Scottish immigrant, Betty Gow comes to America to work. Struggling to make sense of the rules in this new country as she cares for Charles Jr, she finds Mrs. Lindbergh shy and nervous and Charles Lindbergh Sr eccentric and an uncomfortable person to be around.
Her darling is Charles Lindberg Jr. the baby in her charge that she dotes on. The Lindbergh's are very wealthy and have plenty of staff to help them.
Betty takes her childminding seriously and doesn't have time for flirtations or romance then Henrick , aka Red comes around and she's smitten.
Shortly afterwards the darling baby disappears.
The book has a somber tone to it the whole way through.
I do believe after the kidnapping there is a lot of filler in the book. It talks about Betty's daily life, the police interrogation multiple times being that Betty is the prime suspect because she saw the child last before his disappearance.
The book gives us good interaction between staff members, and we get a back story on most of them. Very well researched book. I give it 4 stars.

Pub Date 15 Nov 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC of The Lindbergh Nanny. I started a buddy read in a group for this one and failed abysmally. 🙃 My ability to read on pace with anyone lately is in the garbage can. 🗑️

This was an interesting historical fiction novel, which you guys know is my favorite genre. I went ahead and finished this book listening to my library’s audiobook copy, so about the last half. I do think this is one book that the audiobook adds a little something-something due to the accents.

I remember learning about the Lindbergh baby’s kidnapping and death at some point in my history classes, but never any specifics. This book tells the story from the viewpoint of the nanny, which I think is an excellent reference point to look at it.

Overall, I think the story was good; a solid historical fiction read. I didn’t find myself itching to pick it up each night, but I did enjoy the story and especially the author’s note at the end where she separates the facts from fiction.

The Lindberghs aren’t looked on in a positive light from history books due to Charles Lindbergh’s nazism, yuck. But, no one deserves to lose a child in such a way. Even though Charles Lindbergh is not portrayed in the nicest light (he was rather a jerk, to be honest) I still felt much sympathy for his wife and family regarding this tragedy.

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3.5, rounded up. This book does a nice job establishing Betty as a character and her relationships with the people around her, including the baby, the Lindberghs, and fellow staff members, before diving into the meat of the story. The emotions feel real and it's a really interesting perspective (that of the nanny) to take on a tragedy that gripped the nation and world.

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Since the Lindbergh kidnapping happened years before I was born, I never really knew very much about it. I was a bit reluctant to read this since I have two new grand babies, but there was very little detail about what happened to the Lindbergh baby and the writing was more factual than emotional.

The story is told through the eyes of Betty Gow, the Scottish nanny that was hired by the Lindbergh family. She had a few secrets and in the beginning readers might wonder what role she might have played in the kidnapping. The entire staff was suspect for a time, as the detectives felt that someone on the inside may have provided important information to the kidnappers.

The story follows Betty from the time of her hiring until years after the kidnapping. Once the police investigation began, I felt the story passed a bit, but most of the way I was completely engaged in finding out who took the baby.

This was one of those historical fiction novels that led me to the computer to find out more about the Lindbergh family and Betty Gow.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to provide an honest review and recommend The Lindbergh Nanny to other readers.

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This was a DNF for me at 51%. Fredericks clearly did a ton of research into the Lindbergh kidnapping and the many alternative theories about what happened and made the nanny a sympathetic character, but I lost interest in what was going on and couldn't make myself finish. My DNF was definitely a case of a good book ending up with the wrong reader at the wrong time. I would encourage historical fiction and historical mystery fans to check this one out.

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Fantastic book and the author clearly did her homework! My patrons will love this! I will be looking forward to more from this author!

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I really wanted to love this book, but while the subject matter was interesting, the book felt slow for me overall. Still definitely worth the read, but not as good for me as the author's other series. Then you for the opportunity to read.

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Wow, this was so well written!! I love it when a historical fiction story is based on facts and some mystery thrown in. The fact that this is also a true crime story was a win for me.

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Historical fiction can be a bit hit or miss for me. The story of the Lindbergh kidnapping itself is very interesting, especially since the details of what exactly happened are still unknown today. I enjoyed this author's telling of it, but the narration was a bit weird at times and the story dragged some for my taste. It seemed like the book could have been shorter. I was also surprised to read in the author's note that he wanted to paint the nanny as a heroine, because I did not get that impression while reading. I didn't find her character to be particularly likeable or heroine-like. I think fans of historical fiction or anyone who is particularly intrigued by the Lindberghs will enjoy this book. Thanks to the author publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

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A heartbreaking story told from a new perspective, I really enjoyed the Lindbergh Nanny. I thought the theory that the story proposed was believable, and Betty was an amazing protagonist. The writing was beautiful, the characters were developed - it gave me a new image of who Charles Lindbergh possibly was - and the story extended beyond where I assumed it would end. I liked that it continued well beyond the kidnapping and we got to see Betty's life after the horrific event. I would definitely recommend this book to any reader of historical fiction.

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A well thought out researched novel based on actual events told through the eyes of the nanny who was the last one to see poor charlie alive and even had to be the one to identify his remains. It was intriguing, well told and well documented. I apprecaited the author notes at the end on what was fact and what was fiction and where to find more info on the topic.

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I listened to the audio version of this book, and really enjoyed it along with the narrator. Charles Lindbergh, Jr. was kidnapped from his home in New Jersey in 1932. His kidnapping made international headlines. Betty Gow, later known as the Lindbergh Nanny, was caring for Charles the night he was taken. She, along with other staff that night is thoroughly questioned, and Betty was considered a suspect.

This book blends fact and fiction in the telling of the kidnapping and the Nanny that loved him. The author did extensive research, and it shows. Most have heard of the Lindberg kidnapping, and this book takes a fresh look at the kidnapping.

I enjoyed how the author told the story and I also enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. I enjoy books about real people and events and this one was a winner in my book!

This was beautifully written, and I found it to be well-thought out and researched.

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I listened to the audio version of this book, and really enjoyed it along with the narrator. Charles Lindbergh, Jr. was kidnapped from his home in New Jersey in 1932. His kidnapping made international headlines. Betty Gow, later known as the Lindbergh Nanny, was caring for Charles the night he was taken. She, along with other staff that night is thoroughly questioned, and Betty was considered a suspect.

This book blends fact and fiction in the telling of the kidnapping and the Nanny that loved him. The author did extensive research, and it shows. Most have heard of the Lindberg kidnapping, and this book takes a fresh look at the kidnapping.

I enjoyed how the author told the story and I also enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. I enjoy books about real people and events and this one was a winner in my book!

This was beautifully written, and I found it to be well-thought out and researched.

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I'm sure we have all heard about Charles Lindbergh's famous first flight across the Atlantic and, probably outweighing that fame, the kidnapping and murder of his toddler son. But the details of this story are told through the eyes of little Charlie's nanny, Betty Gow. She is from Scotland and comes to America for a better life working as a nanny. The Lindbergh's hire Betty to care for little Charlie soon before they leave for Japan. So, the first third of the book is focused on Betty's life, her love and joy of caring for Charlie, the other people who work at the house and the people she meets. This part of the book was a bit slow for me, but it laid the ground work for the people the police were investigating, including Betty herself! The Author's actual history she shared at the end of the book on Betty Gow and the actual investigation were most interesting. My thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for a copy of this e-book.

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Betty Gow is chosen to be the nanny for the most famous baby in America. When Charlie Lindbergh is kidnapped, Betty becomes a prime suspect. This fictional account of the kidnapping from Betty’s perspective shines new light on the adored family and the horrific crime.

💭 I am not a reader of historical fiction in most cases, however this crime has always been fascinating to me. So when offered the opportunity to read this and from the viewpoint of the nanny, I couldn’t pass it up.

The author provides some details that make some of the theories of the crime more plausible. For one, the Lindbergh’s were not as likable in private as they were in public. The people surrounding the family all had secrets and reasons to be suspects, including Betty herself.

I kept going back to the actual history to make comparisons and I will be looking for some documentaries to watch. I am even more curious if any of these theories could actually be the truth now that I’ve read this. The author’s note tells what is fact and what is fiction. So well done!

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I have always been fascinated by true crime and the Lindbergh case is a notorious one. In this story, Fredericks chooses to tell the story through Charlie's nanny, Betty Gow. A young woman from Scotland, whose love for the boy oozes from the pages. She was the last one to see the little boy, and the first to discover he had disappeared. You are taken through that day as Betty ticks through every person she saw or talked to. The heartbreak and the emotion that Betty goes through as they search for months for Charlie and the years after as they search high and low for the person or people responsible.

Fredericks does a phenomenal job of mixing fact with fiction to bring Betty to life. This is a gripping story that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat.

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There are some books that just grip you based on the summary, and Lindbergh Nanny is no different. I love historical fiction that also has elements of true crime in it. In this case, it’s a story of a Scottish immigrant in the 1930s and 40s who is accused of kidnapping Charlie, a young boy she is to take care of. As the story unfolds, Betty is at the center of the media chaos and public scrutiny as she is blamed for the disappearance of her child.

Gripping, immersive, and throughly research, this book is not one to miss! It gives us as readers insight into how in the early 21st century, how immigrants were viewed within America. Being married to someone who has Italian and Irish ancestry, I have often heard stories of the discrimination that these communities faced in early industrial America.

I also find the Nanny as a character recurring in different genres, and this one as a mystery also shows how they are viewed as something threatening perhaps because Betty is a single woman and thus viewed with suspicion. This novel will not disappoint! This novel got me thinking about how single men and women are often discriminated against in many societies just because they are “free” to explore their lives, and almost instantly viewed with suspicion in cities like Mumbai where women (especially) have trouble finding rentable apartments.

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