Women in childcaring roles have a long history in literature – from the governesses of old providing education to the children of the noble classes to the contemporary nannies performing the domestic labour in households of working parents. Here’s a round up of ten great classic and contemporary novels about governesses and nannies.
Classic novels about governesses
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Jane Eyre is an amazing exposition of the patriarchal and class constraints experienced by a clever, funny (white) woman over the course of a decade in the 19th century. The story begins with the titular character orphaned at ten years old, experiencing a dearth of affection from her evil stepmother, then (after a stint in a boarding school) becoming a governess to a wealthy man’s ward, providing the love and care that she lacked for so many years of her own childhood. But, of course, that’s just the beginning of Jane’s story… Read my full review of Jane Eyre here.
The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James
The Turn Of The Screw is a story-within-a-story – an unnamed narrator listens to a friend read a manuscript, apparently written by some long-dead former governess. The governess was hired to look after two young orphans, their surviving uncle having no interest in raising them himself. The eldest, a boy, had been expelled from boarding school, and the governess is scared to ask why. The governess worries that she’s going crazy, because she starts seeing mysterious figures (a man and a woman) that no one else can see – never a good sign. Read my full review of The Turn Of The Screw here.
Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
Anne Brontë drew on her own and her sisters’ experiences working as a governess to write Agnes Grey, a novel that offers unique insight into that line of work in the 19th century. The titular character works for families of the English gentry, and while on paper it seemed like a good deal (paid to live in a fancy house, eat fancy food and take care of fancy children) it was a very precarious position for young ladies without a lot of options. Read my full review of Agnes Grey here.
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Vanity Fair holds the distinction of being (arguably) the first ‘major’ novel to have a governess as one of its main characters. Granted, Becky Sharp is more anti- than heroine, being an ambitious social climber who uses her feminine wiles to ensnare gentlemen (not to mention having “no soft maternal heart”). She’s far more worldly than the other governess characters of the period, and unlike them, she is dissatisfied with being relegated to the role of supporting character or domestic staff. Read my full review of Vanity Fair here.
Contemporary novels about nannies
The Safe Place by Anna Downes
Creepy house, creepy kid, a million miles away from anyone – The Safe Place has all the classic motifs of a gothic thriller. The main character, Emily Proudman, is down on her luck. She’s just been fired from her receptionist job when her now-former boss – enigmatic and charismatic Scott Denny – offers her the opportunity of a lifetime, working as a live-in housekeeper-slash-nanny for his wife and six-year-old daughter on their secluded but luxurious French estate. Naturally, it’s too good to be true. Read my full review of The Safe Place here.
Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson
Nothing To See Here begins with the protagonist, Lillian, receiving a letter from her former high-school roommate, hoping to put their unfortunate past behind them and offering her a unique “job opportunity”. She doesn’t know until she gets there that the “job opportunity” is taking care of Madison’s step-kids… who spontaneously combust, at inconvenient times. They need to be kept out of sight, and out of mind, in order to minimise their threat to their father’s political career. That’s easier said than done, but Lillian’s willing to give it a crack for some money in the bank and the chance of a fresh start. Read my full review of Nothing To See Here here.
Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Such A Fun Age might look like a sweet summer read, but underneath lurks a serious critique of race, class, and good intentions. Emira is a young woman still struggling to find her feet. As she stumbles through her twenties, she makes ends meet with a job as a nanny, employed by the feminist advocate and “personal brand” Alix. One night, at a supermarket, Emira is pulled up by security, suspected of kidnapping the young (white) child in her charge. The whole incident is filmed by a witness, and soon finds its way onto the internet. Suddenly, everyone has an opinion about what happened, and what’s next for Emira. Read my full review of Such A Fun Age here.
The Turn Of The Key by Ruth Ware
The Turn Of The Key by Ruth Ware is billed as a modern adaptation of the classic governess novel, The Turn Of The Screw (see above). A governess finds herself living alone with weird children in an isolated house, complete with bitter housekeeper, mysterious caretaker, and unexplained bumps in the night. It’s a very contemporary take, with smart house features that will make you think twice about the technology that supposedly keeps us “safe”. Read my full review of The Turn Of The Key here.
Devotion by Madeline Stevens
Devotion is “a psychological thriller about a nanny’s obsession”. As in so many other novels about governesses and nannies, the story begins with a young woman, flat broke and short on options, welcomed into the home of a wealthy couple and tasked with caring for their child. Unlike the other novels, however, the story doesn’t track Ella’s relationship with the child in her charge, but her growing attraction (and resentment) for the woman who signs her pay slips.
Becky by Sarah May
Becky – a contemporary adaptation of William Thackeray’s Vanity Fair (again, see above) – begins in 1989, when Becky Sharp starts working as a nanny for a family of newspaper moguls. She doesn’t have her sights set on a career in childcare, though – she wants to work at The Mercury. Amelia Sedley is the widely-adored almost-too-nice nanny for the family upstairs, and the two form an unlikely alliance. Becky, of course, eventually lands her dream job, breaking the biggest stories of the decade at the country’s most notorious tabloid newspaper. She marries up, levels up, and she seems unstoppable. But her chosen industry has a big shake-up coming and our (anti?)heroine may yet topple from the top. Read my full review of Becky here.
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