The Big Nap

A Mommy-Track Mystery #2

by Ayelet Waldman

Welcome back to the exasperating world of Juliet Applebaum, a public defender turned sleep-deprived stay-at-home mom—and “a unique, highly likable sleuth” (Judith Kelman).
 
When her infant son’s beautiful young Chasidic babysitter vanishes, Juliet can’t help wondering if the girl was fleeing something even scarier than her screaming, squalling charge. Like her upcoming arranged marriage, maybe? It’s certainly possible. Or perhaps something much more sinister has occurred. Why else would her family be so reluctant to call in the police?
 
To find out the truth, Juliet, with her over-tired kids in tow, will have to travel from her havoc-filled home in Los Angeles to a Chasidic encalve in Brooklyn. In search of answers. In pursuit of justice. And in desperate need of a big, long nap.
 
“Amusing but poignant…Waldman has given her heroine a compelling story befitting her intelligent, witty voice.”— Publishers Weekly
 
“Waldman is a master of smart, snappy repartee.”— Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Humor, Adult Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Jewish

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Ayelet Waldman is the author of A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life, Love and Treasure, Red Hook Road and The New York Times bestseller Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace. Her novel Love and Other Impossible Pursuits was made into a film starring Natalie Portman. Her personal essays and profiles of such public figures as Hillary Clinton have been published in a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Vogue, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Her radio commentaries have appeared on "All Things Considered" and "The California Report."

You can follow Ayelet on Facebook and Twitter.

Love and Treasure is available for purchase here.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not planning on reading another of this author's books so quickly but the library had a copy of this and, ironically, there was a sale going on and I bought the third book in the series, A Playdate with Death. I enjoyed learning about the Hasidic Jewish culture through this book. This series has been labeled as humorous but I thought the ending was very sad.

[L Y N N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an extremely well done mystery, IMO! I appreciated the insights into some of the Jewish sects and as always, was very much entertained by Juliet's challenges with raising children, etc. I think that is one large reason why I enjoy this series so much.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the style in which this book was written but I just couldn't get into this book. The author was obviously interested in the Hasidic Jewish culture bit only got her feet wet. Why do the women wear wigs? What is the draw for being orthodox like this? I wanted more about this rather than read about an annoying bored mother who pokes her nose into people's business for someone she knew for a few hours. I realize that most mysteries are built on the improbable but this was a little more toward the absurd side. And the author doesn't portray motherhood in a very positive light either.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book at a library sale, and didn't realize it was the second book in a series. I read it anyway. There were a couple of references to what happened in book #1, but nothing that ruined this one. I liked it and would give it 3 1/2 stars. There is a lot of "mommy" humor, but even as a grandmother I can STILL recall the numbing fatigue of being a new mom. I think she relates the challenges, as well as the happiness of being a young mom, really well. Throw a mystery in there and it added up to an enjoyable read to end out my year. Oh! And my copy is personalized (to Ann) and signed by the author on 2-02-02.

[Sandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second entry in the Mommy Track Mysteries is a short, serviceable mystery with terrific characters that make the book an enjoyable read. Juliet Applebaum, a lawyer turned full-time mother, solves the disappearance of her young babysitter Fraydle with her fierce toddler Ruby and four month old Isaac often in tow. To the delight of Ayelet Waldman's readers the wry, zaftig, and desperately sleep deprived new mother brazenly navigates the suspicious neighboring Hasidic community to which the lovely young Fraydle belongs and the glamorous Hollywood set where she fears her husband Peter is getting too close to his pencil thin and beautiful producer.

[Molly Sinderbrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read, and enjoyable. The main character and her family weren’t particularly likable, but they were relatable. Incredibly and depressingly accurate portrayal of parenthood. Overall, what I liked most about this book was the sensitive treatment of Haredi Judaism. It actually described the life of women and did so kindly. And it raised questions about modern parenthood, what counts as oppression, and what counts as feminism.

[ahava · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started the first chapter or two a really long time ago and never got into it, so the book sat around. I finally came back to finishing it today. It was an okay book, kind of slow moving, but I loved and appreciated the Jewish portion of it. I don’t know if I will read any more of this series but I may give it a chance.

[Tricia Cassavaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3

[Susan Mock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed Book 2

Juliet does it again! With Isaac and Ruby in tow, she solves mysteries. I did not guess what happened and will absolutely read book 3.

[Marie (UK) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really easy and entertainig read

[Deb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this story on the ho hum side.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
I would have given it 4 full stars for most of the book but felt the ending was weak.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast, fun read sure to be appreciated by any mother who has gone through the exhaustion stage of parenthood!

[Judie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juliet Appelbaum, Harvard Law School graduate currently stay-at-home mother, living in a heavily Hasidic community in Los Angeles with her movie-script-writer husband, three-year-old daughter, and four-month-old son. She is totally exhausted. Her son doesn't sleep much and her husband puts in very long hours at the studio.

She hires a neighborhood girl to watch the baby for a couple hours while her daughter is in preschool so she can catch up on her sleep. The next day, the babysitter disappears.

The girl's family is frantic but her father refuses to involve the police. Juliet takes it upon herself to try to find her or learn what happened to her. Needless to say, she succeeds, but her journey takes her into the Hasidic community (where everyone doesn't appreciate her involvement) and she learns about the options for homosexuals in that world and a yoga studio where she recognizes the effect of body image on children.

The ending made sense. I didn't see it coming.

This is first book I"ve read in the series (the second written) and I'm looking forward to reading all of her other ones.

[Kristyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny mystery to read in one sitting (I read it in a single nap!). I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I don't usually read mysteries, but this one was fun, funny, and refreshing to read as a mother. She had me with the first line, when the main character opens the door to the FedEx Man in her nursing bra, straps unstrapped. One thing I appreciate about Ayelet Waldman's writing (more specifically her nonfiction) is her honesty and humor in her treatment of motherhood. The reader sees the milk leaking through Juliet's shirt, her sleepless nights, her frustration with how little she sees her husband and how tired and overworked they both are.

I wasn't satisfied with the way the mystery concluded, though. Maybe I would have preferred a different ending, though.

I've read one of Waldman's other novels (not in the Mommy-Track series), and I actually liked this one best. I think Waldman fiction works best when she's writing funny, lightly sarcastic characters.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard an interview with the author on NPR and the series sounded like fun.

Public defender turned stay-at-home mom Juliet Applebaum keeps her brain busy solving mysteries that come up in her daily life. This time around she is searching for her babysitter that went missing.

The plot is interesting as it takes place in a Hasidic community. I found the modest dress and the women covering their hair with scarves or wigs an interesting parallel to the muslim's hajib.

Waldman is definitely a witty writer, but for every amusing thought there was an equally saccharine moment about cute kids and/or breast feeding. So I guess I have to decide if I'm willing to put up with it and read another in this series. I'm willing to give her another shot.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juliet Applebaum is back and desperately in search of some sleep.

A nap comes to her in the form of Fraydle, an Orthodox Jew and teenaged babysitter. Finally, a nap for Juliet! After her first day with Juliet’s cranky son, Fraydle appears to be missing. A mystery!

Of course, Juliet sticks her nose in and discovers far more than she wanted to know: an arranged marriage, an illicit boyfriend, and a powerful Hasidic community. It’s hard to know what Juliet’s true motivation is—sleep or helping a family to find their daughter.

Regardless of her motivation, she travels to New York and irritates the Jewish the community, all in the name of making herself feel useful again.

Light, fun, and harmless.

[Evanston Public Library]

You don't have to be a parent to enjoy Ayelet Waldman's The Big Nap, but if you are you'll find an extra layer of humor as new mom Juliet Applebaum struggles to get through her days on very little sleep. Her need for a nap is what motivates Juliet to hire Fraydle, a young Hasidic woman, as a babysitter. When Fraydle vanishes after a single day on the job, Juliet decides to get to the bottom of it. Irreverent and hilarious (although much of the humor does center around child rearing and, specifically, breastfeeding), The Big Nap also contains moments of deep insight into what it means to be a good parent, a woman, and a friend. Combine that with a well-plotted mystery, and you'll be glad this quick read is part of a seven-book series. (Genevieve, Ref.)

[Betsy Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waldman writes witty, smart, easy-to-read detective stories featuring Juliet Applebaum, an L.A. public defender turned stay-at-home mom. She constantly has a nursing baby stuck to her breast or is driving carpool as she tries to track down the clues in these mysteries. The one I read so far, “The Big Nap ,” involves the disappearance of a young Orthodox Jewish girl, which leads Juliet deep into a secretive Hasidic community in Brooklyn.

FYI: Ayelet Waldman is married to the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon (“The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay”), and I believe I read in a story about the two of them that she left a successful career to stay home with their small children, and started writing. So perhaps the main character is modeled after her?

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another easy-on-the-brain read from Ayelet. The book has a very followable storyline that's interesting enough to keep you turning pages, but not taxing in any way. Two Mommy Mysteries in a row might be too much, though. Spunky Juliet, our sleep-deprived, breast-milk-leaking, unremitting heroine started to grate on me a bit, as did her implausibly sexy and supportive husband. (His every appearance equates to "That spit-up on your shirt makes me hot.") I found the setting more interesting than usual, though. Most of the story plays out in a Hasidic community in New York. Not your typical fare. I'm sure that after a bit of a break, I'll be reading more of the series. Enjoyable overall.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking strictly at how the clues are presented and what leads Juliet choses to follow, The Big Nap is structurally similar to Hold The Cream Cheese, Kill The Lox by Sharon Kahn (2002). Both rely on lengthy, expensive travel driven by vague red herrings. In both cases, the solution is at home with a solution obvious to the attentive reader.

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[Derek Wolfgram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waldman is a talented writer, a good storyteller, and a very, very funny woman. I learned about her when I saw her speak at a conference with her husband, Michael Chabon, about the life of two married writers, and she stole the show. The Big Nap was a breezy, fun, irreverent, thoroughly enjoyable read. I will probably not read her other books, as the "Mommy-Track" theme is definitely aimed at a different target audience from childless middle-aged men. However, I thoroughly enjoyed The Big Nap and would highly recommend it to fans of Sue Grafton or Janet Evanovich.

[Lain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waldman has an easy way with words, and she seemed to hit her stride in this book. There are a few eye-rolling moments when even my quite liberal suspension of disbelief gene was twanging with outrage (Juliet thinks the Hasidic 18-year-old, looks-like-a-young-Liz-Taylor, reminds her of herself???), but I'm willing to overlook those in favor of a fairly seamless plotline and fun, lively characters.

[Dana]

Currently reading this one. I grabbed it for a light road trip book but picked it up and am flying through it. I wasn't expecting much but I am enjoying it. I like the self depricating humor of mothers of cranky babies and the contrast. There is the contrast between the hassidic Jews and Juliets token Jewish life. And between the career past and her motherhood life now. It rings true and I will probably look for another by this author

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I had forgotten how engaging this series was. It's a murder mystery but the author does a good job of adding small stories about the mother's daily life. It helps to keep your attention and really adds depth to the character. Plus it makes you sympathize with her struggles as a stay-at-home mom. It is heavy with baby and child care stories (including many about baby diaper accidents) but it just adds to the feeling as if your "walking" int he mothers shoes.

[Lisa Beazley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not normally a mystery reader, but I've read three of four of the Mommy Track Mysteries. I just had my third baby and returned to this series, remembering the laughs and comfort these books brought me in those endless sleep deprived new baby days. I recommend them to new moms all the time who don't feel like they have the time/brain power to read. They are a fun, fast paced, funny and smart escape.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took this book with me over Thanksgiving vacation. It was a great refuge from the noise and chaos of the family. I loved Juliet and her little family. I wish I had a friend like her. The mystery was interesting, plus it featured lots of well-drawn supporting characters. I will definitely pick up more books by Ms. Waldman.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I practically read these books in backwards order, but it really didn't matter. Again, loved the Juliet and her outlook on life. The story was interesting because it dealt with Hasidic Jews, but wasn't my favorite compared to the other more fun subjects. Ok yeah, they all are about murder, but this one was more sad.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few charming and/or funny insights, and very relatable for new moms; however, the author seems to be more capable than this work (or its prequel). It's as if she wouldn't possibly read it of her own volition; she's designed a mystery novel to appeal to an audience she knows exists but of which she is not a member.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just discovered this series and have read the first two in just about as many days--although the mystery plot was a bit thin, immensely fun to read and love the concept of stay-at-home-mom turned PI.