I received a copy of this book as an E-ARC from NetGalley. Many thanks to the publisher.

The Lindbergh Nanny tells the story of Charles Lindbergh Jr. who was kidnapped in 1932 out of his nursery while under the care of his nanny, Betty Gow.

The author did a great job of developing the characters of Charles, Anne Morrow-Lindbergh and Betty Gow as well as the entire staff that worked within the Lindbergh home. The personalities came through very effectively and I enjoying reading from Betty Gow's perspective.

The plot itself though was a bit of a disappointment. I expected more development regarding the perpetrator of the crime. I realize that the nanny, Betty Gow was to be our focus but the plot itself developed so much tension at the time of the kidnapping that I assumed that the conclusion would be filled with just as much tension. I wanted more development around our villain. I think an alternative POV inside the head of the kidnapper or using one of the police officers to share details about the perpetrator would've heightened the tension at the trial. I would've preferred that the book capture more of the tension of the overall mystery and deliver that to readers. The resolution of the perpetrator was way too fast and the author almost came across as not wanting to describe this information.

At one point in the middle of the book I grew bored with police officers questioning so many members of the staff. While I realize this is important in an investigation it also slowed down the book.

My favorite part of the book was actually the author's notes which gave more information regarding Betty Gow after the trial was completed and her return to Scotland. She described Betty Gow as very thoughtful, caring woman who endured a lot under heavy scrutiny.

The Lindbergh Nanny
Mariah Fredricks

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book didn’t kept my attention at all, I really had to force myself to finish it. I think it got more interesting toward the end when it came to the the trial that must of been the most interesting part.

3.5 stars
The re-telling of the kidnapping of 20 month old Charlie from the home of his American hero father Charles and mother, Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Through the eyes of Betty Gow, the nanny, we see her feelings of loss and guilt as she becomes the target of the media.
We are allowed behind the scenes of other staff members and witness their weaknesses and foibles in dealing with the famous family. There was a slow build-up to the actual event and given so much info on Betty's background, family, past romances, it almost ground to a halt for me. This cast of unsymapthetic characters, who eventually betrayed someone, were hard to tolerate even though I did complete the book.
Several insights of Charles Lindbergh's character and beliefs on raising a child, left me cold and did not put him in the grieving father category. The life that he and Anne led, is probably not uncommon among the rich and famous even today, but it was portrayed in a way that made them appear somewhat heartless. And yet, Lindbergh is still considered an American hero.
It was a long book to me, and although I appreciated the author's combination of fact and fiction, I would not say that it is one of my favourite reads for the year. If you are a history buff, you might enjoy the description of the culture within the household, the houses and the expectations of the staff both of themselves and from their employers.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks for the opportunity to read another telling of this historical story.

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh made the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris. He is immediately an international hero. In Mariah Frederick's novel, THE LINDBERGH NANNY (Minotaur) Charles Lindbergh, Jr. is kidnapped in 1932, and the eyes of the world are once again on the Lindberg family.

Betty Gow, Charles Lindbergh Jr.'s nanny, an immigrant with a troubled past, believes she is so lucky to be taking care of little Charles. But soon, Betty becomes suspect number one for what she did or didn't do. Her name and photo are slapped across newspapers around the world and she becomes the target of public scorn.

Mariah Fredricks writes a novel true to the tragic story and creates a narrative which is compelling. She produces a story with human characters, which will hook readers and have them caring. While reading I found myself in Betty's place. It was fabulous until it wasn't. Unlike much historical fiction, there isn't a dual timeline and THE LINDBERGH NANNY is fresh.

Whoa, what a page-turner!
Fascinating, and heart-rending, this is historical fiction about the “Crime of the Century.” That was the kidnapping and the murder of Charles Lindbergh, Jr. The story is told through the eyes and voice of Charlie’s nanny that was caring for him at the time he was taken. The readers will smile as Bettie’s relationship with the child develops into love, they will feel teary and gasp as the events of the kidnapping and murder unfold. And they will mentally cheer for this young woman as she endures being a witness at the trial of the kidnapper…
Such a beautiful little life cut short…I wonder what Little Charlie would have been like as he grew up…
I learned a lot from this novel that I hadn’t known before. Such as, the rather harsh method of child-rearing that the Lindbergh’s ascribed to; no coddling or excess attention allowed, so the child will grow up to be independent. And I was not aware that the Lindberghs had another baby afterwards.
Excellent, unputdownable, historical fiction.
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

I thought this was a fantastic book! The writing is very impressive, with great skill focused ON the nanny, versus the famous Lindbergh family. I thought this took so much skill and excellent writing. While at parts this book dragged on for me (it could be b/c I was reading it on Kindle), I thought Fredericks did a phenomenal job revealing to the reader the inner life of the Lindbergh nanny. Thank you for allowing me to read and review it!

Excellent book that I just couldn't put down. I've heard of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, but had never read anything about it although I think I saw a TV show about it years ago.

I found out so many things and while some things were adding to flesh out the story, those are discussed at the back of the book. The author obviously did a lot of research and has taken that research and packaged it so it would appeal to many readers.

I'm not a big historical fiction fan, but this book fascinated me. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or anyone who has the slightest interest in this case.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request.

Everyone knows the true case of little Charlie Lindberghs kidnapping but to read about it from the perspective of the nanny, Betty Gow was eye opening.. She was the one that was tasked with identifying the body once found and the experience was horrific and changed her life forever. This novel is a great historical record of what might have happened based on facts and fiction. It was quite entertaining.

3.5 stars

In my teenage years (1960s), I was fascinated to learn everything I could find about the Lindbergh family. My grandmother had shared their story, and I read a couple of Anne Morrow’s books. I found Fredericks’ book, The Lindbergh’s Nanny, to be hot and cold for me. I thought it dragged in spots. Charles child-raising theories using “The Watson Method’ really got to me. The stringent schedule that little Charlie was on including certain times to sit on the potty and hours to be left alone was absurd. Fredericks’ writing made me very emotional when Buddy could not find Charlie where she left him in the yard for his nap one day. I appreciate the notes that Fredericks left the reader at the end of the book. She lets the reader know the facts she followed in the kidnapping and the trial. She told the story through the nanny’s eyes. She also let the reader know what was not true and who she thought was the kidnapper. I am glad I read this book but thought it was a little to dry in several parts.

I was always interested in this story and found The Lindbergh Nanny just as interesting. The most notorious kidnapping told by the woman who was the baby’s nanny. Betty Gow narrates her days with The Lindbergh’ s and the events that took place on this tragic day and days ahead. It was emotional, heartfelt and powerful. I was glued to the pages as this story unfolded and kept me engaged to the very end. A 5 star read.

Scottish immigrant Betty is employed as a nanny for the son of the highly regarded Charles Lindbergh. But when the child disappears while in her care, she becomes a suspect in the kidnapping. Betty tries to determine who of the staff may have participated in an “inside job” in order to clear her own name and reputation. A very interesting delve into the lives of high society of the 1930s

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC! I have known about the Lindbergh kidnapping for a long time now, I just did not know any of the details surrounding it or the outcome of any trial. I enjoyed how this book was written in the perspective of the nanny. I can not imagine the blame that would have been placed upon her by herself and so many others. I do wish that they had described the main characters better, as I did not know anything about them beforehand and this book did not help with that. This book was just ok for me, I felt like the book was a little unfinished for me, although I imagine this is how the entire tragedy was felt by many.

The Lindbergh Nanny tells the story of the 1932 kidnapping of Young Charlie Lindbergh and the ensuing investigation and trial.
Betty Gow has only been in the US for a few years when she’s hired by the Lindberghs. There’s obviously something in her background that she’d prefer to keep hidden. Neither of the Lindberghs are painted in a flattering light. He’s a firm believer in the Watson method of child rearing, a belief that a child should be independent from an early age. She’s content to follow her husband, leaving her child for months. And in typical fashion of the day, no cares at all for the hired help.
The story is told in the first person. Betty isn’t a very deep character or should I say, Fredericks doesn’t make her a fully developed character. She comes across as flat, except for one brief moment during the trial. The story’s pacing is uneven. Frederick takes too long setting up the situation before the kidnapping. She does a good job of laying out the police investigation - who could have had the knowledge to pull off the kidnapping and who had motives; the means they had of finding out information. The story posits that Betty does her own queries, as it was assumed someone on the inside must have been involved in some way. The author also constructs the story so that one of the police officers shares quite a bit of information with her. As this is fiction, Fredericks comes up with her own theory of who the insider was. It’s a sad truth that even those who are innocent get blamed and their lives ruined.
This was an interesting story but not an overly engrossing one. At the end, she spells out the facts vs. constructed fiction. She admits her theory is just that, a theory with only a single fact to back it up.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

The Lindbergh Nanny has taken me a while to review. So I’d like to thank NetGalley and @minotaur_books for a review copy. and their patience, since the book is now available.

As you might guess this story is of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping but it is told from the nanny's viewpoint.

Here’s why I’ve had trouble writing my review. While I usually love historical novels, this one just didn’t click with me . . . at all. And after trying to analyze it, I think it's the subject and the fact that it was a slow read.

On top of being slow, the characters in no way captured any feelings from me. They were little more than names. But since I wanted to review it, I kept turning the pages.

The last part of the book, which dealt more with the investigation, did pique my interest, but still not enough to be able to recommend the book.

However, there are lots of great reviews and ratings, so realize that my 3 stars only mean that the book didn’t have the wow effect I was looking for. You may or may not like it.

I am sure I am in the minority here, but I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped to. The story of the kidnapping is told through the eyes of Betty, the child's nanny who was the last person to see young Charlie on the night of the crime. The book starts out ok, introducing the reader to Betty, the Lindbergs and their extended family and servants. From there it loses me, the pacxe stalls, almost stopping and instead of being about the kidnapping I found it becoming about Betty's relationships, past and present and her seemingly endless theories on who kidnapped Charlie. It was no longer a book about the nanny in relation to the kidnapping but a book about the nanny, her relationships and never ending theories about who did the kidnapping. It was no longer centered on the kidnapping and the nanny in relation to the kidnapping, which was what I was expecting from it. Maybe I was expecting too much or the wrong thing. As always these are just my feelings and opinions.
I wish I would have liked it more, but as is I am still going to give it 4 stars. I do not want anyone who is interested in it not to read it because of my personal expectations, I think it is well written and others may really enjoy the flow of the book and the direction it takes, it simply wasn't what I was looking for.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

4 Intriguing Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
Older generations will know immediately when they heard the name Lindbergh, it brought about two thoughts; first, the fact he was famous for flying, and then they might know about his baby being kidnapped. Charles Lindbergh also became famous for other reasons, too, but the idea of his fame, wealth, and status in the world was major and before there was ever any idea of the way people become famous today.

There was no internet, the news was through short films in movie theaters. Society had rules for how the famous and wealthy behaved and led their lives, and this was never discussed or doubted. It was how things were done.

The Lindbergh Baby by Mariah Fredericks has all of these elements and more. It takes the idea of a new Scottish immigrant whose life has already been more than most could handle and has her become the infamous nanny for this couple. The couple is not what everyone thinks they are. Mr. Lindbergh is strange and the mother is distinct. It takes everything for this nanny to not cross that line of not caring enough and loving the child too much to offend the parents.

The couple leaves the child with this stranger without even knowing her for too long and carries on. Our gal does have a bit of happiness but it soon turns sour fast with this horrific kidnapping...fingers point at her and she is in the thick of the experience.

The research done for this book was extensive and worth it. The writing makes this historic moment come alive.

The kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby has captured the minds of countless people and inspired books and movies. This fictionalized account tells the story from the point of view of the nanny, or nurse as she would have been called at the time, Betty Gow. Betty was a Scottish immigrant with little nanny experience who was quickly captivated by the young Charlie. She is drawn into not only the lives of the Lindberghs--the eccentric "Colonel" and kind Anne Morrow--but also the extended Morrow household (including their help).

This riveting retelling evokes Depression-era New Jersey and New York and shows how the case affected the futures of those who were even tangentially involved. The author introduces a new theory (new to me, at least) of the involvement of house members. Thoroughly enjoyable and riveting. #TheLindberghNanny #NetGalley

The Lindbergh Nanny, by Mariah Fredericks, is a compelling depiction of one of the most famous kidnappings in American history. Told from the point of view of the Nanny, we see the Lindberghs, their family, and staff through the eyes of a young Scottish immigrant. Her affection for the baby is overwhelming, equaled only by the horror of discovering her charge missing. Fredericks takes the reader through the lead-up, the crime, and the aftermath as experienced by the Nanny.

Fredericks is meticulous about her research and details precisely what was fictionalized in the afterword. We see the immigrant experience and the contrast between the upper class and the "help."The biggest issue I have is that so many of the characters that surround this poor, tragic baby are flawed. While the Nanny's character grows and strengthens throughout the novel, most of the others, including the parents, do not. It sometimes made for tough reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC.

The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks contained everything that great historical fiction should: fascinating well-developed fictional characters along with some based on real historical figures, an intriguing plot based on history and reasonable conjecture, and a thorough author's note that explains which parts were based on research and which were fictionalized.

Betty Gow is "The Lindbergh Nanny," the nurse for little Charlie Lindbergh, son of famous Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne Morrow Lindbergh, who were a nationally known super couple in 1932. Their toddler son disappeared from his crib on March 1, and three months later his body was found near their home. A man was convicted of the crime, but there were enough loose ends that many people still speculate that either the wrong man was convicted or that he at least had help. I am familiar with some of the history, but telling this story from Ms. Gow's perspective allowed the author some room for logical conclusions on how events may have played out.

Betty came across as an earnest and loving caretaker for Charlie. She was trusted by the Lindberghs even though she was mercilessly grilled by law enforcement and the opposing attorneys. We see her grief mixed with understandable guilt when her job was to care for the baby only to have the unimaginable happen when she was actually elsewhere in the house.

I will recommend this to readers who like historical fiction from the 1930's, especially about the Lindberghs.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well written historical fiction.The Lindbergh kidnapping always interested me to have a child of a famous couple taken from their home was truly horrifying.Reading about it from the nanny’s eyes drew me in.Really interesting read the characters come alive.#netgalley #thelindberghnanny