Rita P Smits answers “Toward the end of the book it was...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about The Perfect Nanny:

Toward the end of the book it was emphasized Louise was destitute. Why didn't she have any money? She was paid and they mentioned Louise didn't spend much on clothing (accepting hand-me-downs), and she ate at the Masses' house.

Rita P Smits On top of everything that was already answered (including clear mental illness from Louise, who is not taking care of her affairs properly), I think t…moreOn top of everything that was already answered (including clear mental illness from Louise, who is not taking care of her affairs properly), I think that this issue is really besides the point that the author is trying to make. It can still be a book about class and about financial despair, but that is all nuanced and coupled with a lot of other elements. The stress here is not that the Masses' family didn't pay well or did not want to help - it's that they just did not care enough to ascertain about these deeper questions. That is very evident in the end of the book, when Myriam finally asks herself "where does Louise live, after all? What does she do, when she is not with us?" and this interest comes too late.(less)

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The Perfect Nanny

by Leïla Slimani

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