*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*
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.
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Mysterious. Engaging. Memorable.
Despite being a famous case, I hadn’t heard anything about the Lindbergh kidnapping before reading the book. The title caught my attention first, followed by the summary of the book. The Lindbergh Nanny is one of those books that will have your attention from the start until the end. Even as I turned the last page, I wondered what had happened after. Every page and chapter had me wondering what would happen next. Would they find out who kidnapped Charlie? I wasn’t there, but all the emotions that Betty felt in the book before the kidnapping and afterward felt so real. That was one of my favorites about this book; it felt realistic. While reading, it was as if I was there besides Betty, going through everything she was going through. Like Betty, I fell in love with Charlie. I can’t even begin to imagine the horror the family felt when he was taken from them, and my heart broke for them.
I loved the connection that Betty had with Charlie before the kidnapping. It didn’t take him long to get attached to Betty, and I could tell she loved him. I could tell that after some time, Mrs. Lindbergh became jealous of the bond that Betty and her son had developed. When Charlie was kidnapped, I thought of so many suspects, but the actual suspect was the last person I thought would have anything to do with the case. I learned a lot about the case in the book. The book had me curious, so once I finished the book, I went back and researched the real-life case. I enjoyed that at the end of the book, the author talked about the facts and the fictional that she added, making the book even more realistic.
All the characters were so well developed in the book, especially Betty, who changed the most of all the characters. As I said before, I love historical fiction mixed with mystery. The Lindbergh Nanny was one of the best books I have read this year. I was on the edge of my seat from the start to the end. I would highly recommend that to any historical fiction and mystery fans. I’m happy that I got a chance to read this book, and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us next.
