The Lindbergh Nanny

I was interested to read this book because it was based on the well-known historical event of the missing Lindbergh baby back in 1932. I had, of course, heard of the crime but knew little about it. This story is a blend of fiction and fact that tells the story through the eyes of young Charlie's nanny, Betty Gow.

The story is set within the months leading up to Charlie's abduction, during the hunt for the child and the aftereffects. The first half of the story was intriguing, and readers get a look into the Lindberghs' posh lifestyle, their (odd) family dynamics and Charles Lindbergh Sr.'s stance on issues like eugenics. 

But the second half was a struggle for me. I put the book down a few times in the hopes that I'd come back to it with renewed interest, but the pacing was too slow and had a muddled feel as many characters and theories of 'whodunnit' are introduced and tertiary, unnecessary plot lines (ie. Lindbergh teaching Betty to drive) are included. I liked the idea of telling the story through the eyes of 'the help', but the story becomes more about Betty than the crime. Her life is rather dull and with only her perspective, readers are stuck in her head as she comes up with theory after theory of who could have kidnapped the child. The actual kidnapping (which has never been solved) felt glossed over and not as emotional as I was expecting. 

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. It is clear that this book has been well-researched, and I appreciated the author's notes in the back of the book where she details the historical facts she included in her fictionalized story. But, unlike the many four- and five-star reviews, I am in the minority and found the story underwhelming and missing that personal element or a sense of urgency. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Minotaur Books for the complimentary digital copy of this book which was provided to me in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Author: Mariah Fredericks

Genre: Historical Fiction

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Minotaur (St Martin's Press)

First Published: November 15, 2022

Book Description from GoodReads: Mariah Fredericks's The Lindbergh Nanny is powerful, propulsive novel about America’s most notorious kidnapping through the eyes of the woman who found herself at the heart of this deadly crime.

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.

A Scottish immigrant deciphering the rules of her new homeland and its East Coast elite, Betty finds Colonel Lindbergh eccentric and often odd, Mrs. Lindbergh kind yet nervous, and Charlie simply a darling. Far from home and bruised from a love affair gone horribly wrong, Betty finds comfort in caring for the child, and warms to the attentions of handsome sailor Henrik, sometimes known as Red. Then, Charlie disappears.

Suddenly a suspect in the eyes of both the media and the public, Betty must find the truth about what really happened that night, in order to clear her own name—and to find justice for the child she loves.