The Rundown
Marie Bellehumeur is a Fifty-Two year old chain smoker desperate for a job. Any job. She expects to find a job mopping floors just so she can pay the bills. However, when she is assigned a job, she is told to arrive at the address of the Canadian Prime Minister. When she knocks on the door she is shown inside and is interviewed by Prime Minister, Justin Prudhomme and his wife Josie, who want her to be a nanny for their three children. Marie realizes they must have mixed her up with another woman named Marie with a similar last name and has several college degrees. Since the pay is $30,000 a year and she will be living in their luxurious house and not having to mop floors for a living, Marie keeps that bit of information to herself and agrees to be their nanny.
On her first day, she is supposed to cook breakfast and pack the children’s lunches. She gives them dry cereal and money to buy chicken nuggets at school, which neither child likes. She does one load of laundry and takes a nap while the baby naps. She takes the older two children to their after school activities and is rude to the other parents that are there with their own children. Once she gets home, she orders pizza for dinner, steals one of Josie’s sexy nightgowns then wears it to bed. Josie catches Marie wearing it and is none too happy. She orders her husband, the Prime Minister, to fire Marie.
Being the strong man of the house that he is, he does absolutely nothing. Meanwhile, Josie has hired a new nanny. The Prime Minister doesn’t have the courage to fire Marie, so now there are two nannies. Marie decides she will be the head nanny and is in lazy woman’s heaven. She is, for a bit. But once political problems ensue, and she starts listening to the wrong people, she is in for the ride of her life amidst misunderstandings and being accused by Josie of kidnapping the children.
The Recommendation
People who enjoy tongue in cheek political satires will enjoy this book. There were many humorous moments as well as a few gags that didn’t quite work. However, Marie is a likable character and Josie, The Prime Minister’s wife, not so much, which works for the story. Most of the story is well told, especially at the beginning. However, there were a few sections where one of the characters would be telling a story to the other characters, and the story they were telling went on for way too long. These parts could have used some editing to cut out the unnecessary information. There were also some parts and some minor characters that were a bit confusing to follow as the story went on. But all in all, a worthwhile endeavor for those who want a good laugh and not necessarily a thought provoking read.
The Rating
4 Stars (out of 5): Recommended. For the right audience, this book is a great read. It can hold its own against any traditionally published novel in its genre.
The Pros & Cons
Pros: Humor, Unique StyleCons: Slow in Places
The Links
The Reviewer
Melody Delgado
Visit Melody Delgado‘s website.People who enjoy tongue in cheek political satires will enjoy this book. There were many humorous moments as well as a few gags that didn't quite work. However, Marie is a likable character and Josie, The Prime Minister's wife, not so much, which works for the story. Most of the story is well told, especially at the beginning. However, there were a few sections where one of the characters would be telling a story to the other characters, and the story they were telling went on for way too long. These parts could have used some editing to cut out the unnecessary information. There were also some parts and some minor characters that were a bit confusing to follow as the story went on. But all in all, a worthwhile endeavor for those who want a good laugh and not necessarily a thought provoking read.
Read I Was Justin’s Nanny
