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The Lindbergh Nanny

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I've tried multiple times, but I always wind up putting this book down and moving on to something else. Ultimately, the writing style just doesn't work for me.

DNF

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As I was starting to read the book, I was surprised to find the author’s note on thé first page. It specifically said what happened to thé baby and who was charged for thé kidnapping.

As I was looking forward for somekind of suspense, I no longer felt interested in thé story. I Wonder why it was done this way and not as an afterthought.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

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As a Scottish immigrant, Betty Gow has to prove she can handle the jobs she is offered. Interviewing to be a nanny for the Lindbergh family is a big deal and she isn't sure how things went until she is offered the job. It's the year before the kidnapping and honestly, I was anxious to get to that main event and found some of the gossip and goings on around the servants for the Lindberghs and Morrows a bit much. But it was hard to find jobs during the Depression and not only was the aviator and senator's family hiring, but they also had multiple residences and the young family was building a home of their own. I like learning new historical tidbits while reading fiction and I had no idea that Anne's younger sister had been the subject of a kidnapping attempt via a threatening letter in 1929 while at boarding school. Did this become a way to make a living during the Depression? Anyway, it was an okay read, especially if you have an interest in this family.

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It took me awhile to start this book, knowing the subject matter and the “end of the story.” But this was really well done and I found the angle of the story, focused on the nurse of baby Charles, to be a fresh perspective. I would recommend this. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Absolutely loved this book! So intriguing and I could not put it down. I loved how we got to see the point of view from the Nanny. If you’re interested in the Lindbergh case, then this book is a must have.

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I have always had a deep interest in the Lindbergh kidnapping and this book, albeit a novel, presents a different view of the crime. I'm grateful for this perspective.

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I really enjoyed this, its one true story that I didn't know much about going in to. I loved the nanny's story perspective and the audiobook was great. I listened to this in just over a day.

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I went in not knowing the story at all. The fact that the baby was kidnapped right out of his crib was shocking for a family of such influence at the time. I do love the true crime and the mystery surrounding the story so I was captivated from the first page. I loved traveling back in time and exploring the mystery and am now even more curious to know "who did it."

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When the most famous toddler in America, Charles Lindbergh, Jr., is kidnapped from his family home in New Jersey in 1932, the case makes international headlines. Already celebrated for his flight across the Atlantic, his father, Charles, Sr., is the country’s golden boy, with his wealthy, lovely wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, by his side. But there’s someone else in their household—Betty Gow, a formerly obscure young woman, now known around the world by another name: the Lindbergh Nanny.

I've always been intrigued with the Lindbergh case, so when I saw this book, I knew I'd have to read it. It was an entertaining read that had enough facts to pull the story together and enough fiction to make it entertaining.

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Historical fiction is probably my favorite genre so this book intrigued me from the start. It was very interesting and well written. A little long in some places but it told a unique story that I have not read about before.

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This was an interesting historical fiction novel.

The book is narrated by Charlie Lindbergh's nanny, Betty Gow before he was kidnapped and months later found dead.

in 1939, Betty Gow is taking care of the baby when he disappears from his crib at night. A ramson note is left behind. When the police start investigating the crime, they immediately zoom in on Betty and make her a suspect. She was the last person to see the baby alive, she was a single woman going out with a Norwegian sailor named Henry, and she was a foreigner.

In Betty's words, she describes how she got the position of a nanny. She didn't like Charles Lindbergh. She thought he was an odd man. She especially didn't like the way he treated baby Charlie. The child's mother, Anne Morrow was a nice woman but Betty couldn't understand how she could leave the child for weeks at a time and then wondered why the child would cling to the nanny and not to her when she came back.

The Lindbergh Nanny had my attention from the very first page since it's based on a truly horrible crime with too many unanswered questions. Was it an inside job? Probably. Do I believe Betty had something to do with it? I doubt it.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Minotaur Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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The kidnapping of the Lindbergh Baby was the crime of the century. One that so shook the world that stories of the child snatching still reverberate today, nearly 100 years later. Mariah Fredericks dives into the mystery of what happened to little Charles Lindbergh in her new novel, The Lindbergh Nanny, which examines the crime through the eyes of the child's caretaker, Betty Gow.

The book follows Betty as she takes on the job of caring for the son of "American royalty" - Charles Lindbergh and wife Anne Morrow - and delves into her personal and professional relationships throughout her years spent in the Lindbergh home. This novel is primarily an exposition of Betty's own life, with her work as the Lindbergh nanny always hovering in the background. It concludes with the kidnapping of young Charles from his bedroom, and the subsequent investigation into his disappearance. It examines how Betty, who was the last person to see Charles before he was taken, was considered a suspect, and how she blamed herself for the crime in that she left the bedroom shutters unlatched, thus allowing easy access to Charles' bedroom.

The Lindbergh Nanny is one of those historical novels that keeps readers on the periphery of a well-known event, inviting them to follow along as the events play out, but never really building intimacy between the characters and reader. I personally prefer greater characterization in my historical fiction novels - I want to see notable people brought vividly to life - but if you like historical fiction that almost nearly reads as nonfiction, The Lindbergh Nanny may be right up your alley. Fredericks does embellish a bit in her narrative, as outlined in the Author's Note, but many other details of Betty's time as the Lindbergh's nanny are kept true to the record.

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Liked it enough. It’s not bad but it didn’t dazzle me as much as I had expected. Didn’t enjoy the first person POV. I did appreciate a new perspective in history overall.

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Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks.
I've always been intrigued by the Lindbergh kidnapping, and this book did not disappoint. Told from the perspective of the baby's nanny, the reader is given insight into the family and events surrounding the kidnapping. This book was well researched and well written.

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The Lindbergh Nanny tells the forgotten story of Charles Lindbergh. It tells how a nanny was suspected of kidnapping and murdering Charles. While I do not if the novel’s take on the crime is true, it was still very interesting. I like how it focused on the nanny’s love for Charles and how she tries to find out who killed him. The story was very emotional and heart-wrenching. It was also very well-written and filled with meticulous detail. I am interested to research more on the subject. I recommend this for fans of The Perfect Nanny, The Black Dahlia, and Slammerskin!

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This book was almost a 5-star read for me, and that's not a rating I use often. I am irrationally drawn to tragedy and true crime, so I NEEDED to get my hands on a copy of this book as soon as I saw it was being published. I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this pre-release copy. The following opinions are my own. Historical facts are not treated as spoilers.

The heartbreaking story of Charlie Lindbergh is told in an emotive and compelling way through the eyes of his nanny (or nurse as she would have been referred to at the time), Betty Gow. I loved the way the author created each character as a realistic, imperfect person. The reader is able to sympathize with each person involved, all while wondering which of them is at fault when poor Charlie is found murdered.

Kudos to Ms Fredericks for writing Betty's inner struggles and uncertainty about the kidnapping in a compelling way. Betty wonders if she is the one who made it possible. Did she fail poor little Charlie? Then she considers each of her friends and coworkers. Was it them? Who betrayed the cherubic baby? This could have easily bogged down the story....except it doesn't. We wonder right along with Betty, was it them? We stand next to her, longing to solve the mystery.

Only a couple things kept me from giving this book 5-stars. The most significant issue I had was with a historical figure, who in real life had a wife and two children, being portrayed as a homosexual. I understand that historical novelists are writing fiction, but where the truth is known, I feel it should be respected. Fill gaps, but don't change who a person was just to make them more interesting to the modern mindset. The author has clearly done exhaustive research and worked tirelessly to recreate the time period and events, so the decision to write this man in a false way stood out as odd compared to the remainder to the story.

Overall, this was a captivating read - I hesitate to say enjoyable, given the subject matter - but I did find myself leaving a gathering early because I just wanted to go home and read. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys stories about fascinating women. Betty Gow was certainly one who coped with horrific circumstances with dignity and grace.

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I received a free e-copy of The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks from NetGalley for my honest review.

An interesting and in-depth story that combines fiction and fact, pertaining to the kidnapping of the Lindergh's son. This stories focus is about the Nanny that loved Charlie. The story of all the details from her past all the way up to how she met the Lindbergh family.

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In 1930, no man was more heroic than Charles Lindbergh, and no child was more interesting than his. Betty Gow was brought into service for the Lindberghs to care for the most famous baby in the world. And less than two years later, the boy is abducted and subsequently murdered and left in a ditch to be found two and a half months later. This is the story of Betty's employment before, during, and after the abduction of Charles Lindbergh Jr.

There's no real closure on the case in the real world, though this novel poses some interesting ideas. The man who police arrested and tried swore to his innocence until the day he died. 91 years later, the questions will never be able to be answered. But the story is interesting. And whose perspective could be the most interesting? Obviously, the nanny.

I originally got this as an ARC, but got easily distracted by other books. I was clearly not in the mood to dive into this controversial semi-cold case. I had the library's copy of the book out as soon as it was in, but I was distracted again. But this time, I knew I needed to just bite the bullet and get done.

The book is good. The beginning is slow, but once you've gotten to the actual event itself, the story progresses really well, and gets really interesting. I'm not going to lie, I actually had a nightmare related to this book. But that's definitely indicative of how into the story I really got by the end of it. I appreciate that the author included both a note about the really Betty Gow, as well as what she's changed, and how much is truly accurate.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

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The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks 🧠🧠🧠🧠/5
I'm not going to lie - I had zero idea that the Lindbergh kidnapping was a real thing. A few chapters in, I found I was struggling with the pace of the book and I decided (for once!) to read the book's synopsis. This then led me to a deep dive via google into the real life tragedy. Once I had a better understanding that this was based on real events, with a fictional twist - I was hooked. Mystery, true crime and historical fiction all mixed into one!
I'll never stop being amazed at the amount of research that HF writers do. This book was no exception.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books & Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*was published in November 2022

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This turned into such a fascinating story. I'm not familiar with the LIndbergh case in real life, so I came into this one without many preconceived expectations. It was a bit of a slow start - and keeping track of the different characters and locations/houses was a bit difficult at times. Overall, the story is heartbreaking and I really appreciated the way the author stayed true to the story while using fiction to weave perspective together. The appendix about Betty Gow and fact vs fiction at the end was really well done and helped to connect the dots. I also found myself researching the case to read more about it.

Overall, a well done historical fiction narrative based on an event that hasn't been as written about in recent memory. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

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