The Nanny Diaries

One young lady to look after a four-year-old kid is wanted. Must be jovial, extroverted, and selfless—almost masochistic. Must love working sixteen-hour shifts with a preschooler who is purposefully sleep-deprived. Must likes being physically and metaphorically pummeled by his family members. Must relish the tantalizing prospect of ludicrously unpredictable compensation. Must mostly like being handled like a fungus that grows out of an employer's Hermès purse. Please do not apply if you take it personally. Who wouldn't want to work here? Nanny, who is having difficulty paying for her tiny studio apartment and her NYU degree, accepts a job as a caregiver for the affluent X family's lone boy. She quickly discovers the absurd amount of juggling required to make sure a Park Avenue wife has a trouble-free day—despite not working, cooking, cleaning, or raising her own kid. When the X's marriage starts to fall apart, Nanny becomes engaged in ways that go much beyond what is appropriate or decent. Her time with the X family turns into an almost impossible quest to preserve her own morality, their four-year-old's mental health, and—above all—her sense of humor. Mrs. X and Nanny push the boundaries of contemporary slavery over the course of nine tense months as they execute the traditional dance of etiquette and power. The Nanny Diaries, written by two former nannies, skillfully captures the glitz of Manhattan's affluent elite.