Read with Sharon - January 2023

The Lindbergh Nanny - Mariah Fredericks

Meet Betty Gow, a young Scottish immigrant who was hired as a nurse to care for the only child of Charles and Anne Lindbergh. Betty was settling into her new life on the Lindbergh’s 390-acre New Jersey estate when the unthinkable happens and the baby is abducted from his crib. Betty becomes a suspect in the kidnapping and launches her own “whodunnit” investigation to clear her name.

In The Lindbergh Nanny, Mariah Fredericks has crafted a rich historical fiction that is so well researched and true to actual facts that, in my opinion, this book could very well be classified as non-fiction. If you love a good mystery based on a true crime event, you’re going to love this book.

This month, author Mariah Fredericks will join our book club meeting to discuss her inspiration behind the story. To accommodate her schedule, we will be meeting on Thursday, January 19 at 7:00 pm EST.

Until then, I hope you find The Lindbergh Nanny as enjoyable as I did.

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Reviews

“Anyone who is even remotely familiar with the Lindbergh kidnapping case knows how it ended, but Fredericks’ take on the story from the viewpoint of the Lindbergh nanny provides new insight into how those closest reacted and suffered.”

As Mariah Fredericks states in her endnotes, “The Lindbergh Nanny is not a work of investigative nonfiction. It is a novel, based on biographies, histories of the case, and a range of sources including websites dedicated to the crime.”

https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/lindbergh-nanny-novel

Right from the start, Fredericks does an outstanding job of blending fact and fiction, immersing readers in the life of this Scottish immigrant whose time in America has been full of emotional turmoil thus far. The Lindberghs and their opening for a nanny seems like a last-ditch effort, but also a fantastical one. After all, not everyone gets to work for the most famous couple in America, especially not someone with a sordid past to escape. Betty is shocked by their extravagances and immediately charmed by Charlie, a sweet, lamb-like infant who quickly bonds with her, mainly because his parents are so aloof and strict in their independence-minded parenting.

https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-lindbergh-nanny

The Lindbergh Nanny - Mariah Fredericks

Book Club Questions

THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY

  1. Had you heard of Betty Gow before reading this book?
  2. What did you think about Betty and her journey?

THE STORY PLOT

  1. How much did you know about the Lindbergh baby kidnapping before reading this book?
  2. What did you think about the role the media played in the coverage of the kidnapping?
  3. If this happened in today’s world, how would the investigation be different?

THE ENDING

  1. Did it work for you? What would you have changed?
  2. What did you take away from the book?
  3. Are you left with any questions?

SYMBOLISM AND FORESHADOWING

  1. Did you notice any symbolism?
  2. What foreshadowing did you notice? 

THE WRITING

  1. Use one adjective to describe the writing itself.
  2. What would you change if you could rewrite The Lindbergh Nanny?

DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC

  1. What did you love most about the book?
  2. Did the book change any views/opinions that you have?

The Lindbergh Nanny - Mariah Fredericks