The Diary Of Anne Frank

by Cox & Wyman LTD, Reading

Wanted: One young woman to take care of four-year-old boy. Must be cheerful, enthusiastic and selfless--bordering on masochistic. Must relish sixteen-hour shifts with a deliberately nap-deprived preschooler. Must love getting thrown up on, literally and figuratively, by everyone in his family. Must enjoy the delicious anticipation of ridiculously erratic pay. Mostly, must love being treated like fungus found growing out of employers Hermès bag. Those who take it personally need not apply. Who wouldn't want this job? Struggling to graduate from NYU and afford her microscopic studio apartment, Nanny takes a position caring for the only son of the wealthy X family. She rapidly learns the insane amount of juggling involved to ensure that a Park Avenue wife who doesn't work, cook, clean, or raise her own child has a smooth day. When the X's' marriage begins to disintegrate, Nanny ends up involved way beyond the bounds of human decency or good taste. Her tenure with the X family becomes a nearly impossible mission to maintain the mental health of their four-year-old, her own integrity and, most importantly, her sense of humor. Over nine tense months, Mrs. X and Nanny perform the age-old dance of decorum and power as they test the limits of modern-day servitude. Written by two former nannies, The Nanny Diaries deftly punctures the glamour of Manhattan's upper class.

223 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1954

Reviews

[George Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being for personal use with the intention of editing and publishing, this book does not become monotonous. Anne is a very likeable person and the finishing epilogue reminds the reader of the acute reality of Anne Frank; it reminds you that Anne is not a character in a book, but a real person. I found that I had a lot of empathy with Anne Frank and may her memory live on.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read it in 1974 and I can't overstate the influence this book as had on so many areas of my life. It generated lots of questions during that first read and led to a life time of wanting to know more about her, her family, and the times she lived in. I've been to Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and to Auschwitz and my personal journey continues.

The book is an astonishment for the quality of the writing for someone so young, especially in those sections she revised. It's also astonishing for the industry it started that continues to this day.

I still have the original 1974 Pan edition (pictured above) that I first read.

[Sarah Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I know why most people read this book at least once in their lives. Anne's self-awareness, reflection, compassion, ability to self-soothe, and still find gratefulness in her life in one of the most horrific times in history is so humbling. She held onto her own convictions and self-worth with such strength, no matter how hopeless and lonely things became. So many of these qualities I'm only just getting the hang of in my 30s. Again, truly humbling.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry to say I disliked this book and gave up halfway .
After watching a very good dramatisation of the story, which included all the goings on outside the attic as well as inside ,I thought I'd give it a go .
I found it totally unengaging and tedious to read .. much like I suppose many diaries would be to an outsider .