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The Language of Birds
Drawing on the infamous Lord Lucan affair, this compelling novel explores the roots of a shocking murder from a fresh perspective and brings to vivid life an era when women's voices all too often went unheard.
In the summer of 1974, Mandy River arrives in London to make a fresh start and begins working as nanny to the children of one Lady Morven. She quickly finds herself in the midst of a bitter custody battle and the house under Lord Morven is having his wife watched. According to Lady Morven, her estranged husband also has a violent streak, yet she doesn't seem the most reliable witness. Should Mandy believe her?
As Mandy tries to shield her young charges from harm, her friend Rosemary watches from the wings - an odd girl with her own painful past and a rare gift. This time, though, she misreads the signs.
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2019
24 people are currently reading
614 people want to read
About the author
Jill Dawson
42 books98 followersJill Dawson was born in Durham and grew up in Staffordshire, Essex and Yorkshire. She read American Studies at the University of Nottingham, then took a series of short-term jobs in London before studying for an MA in Writing at Sheffield Hallam University. In 1997 she was the British Council Writing Fellow at Amherst College, Massachussets.
Her writing life began as a poet, her poems being published in a variety of small press magazines, and in one pamphlet collection, White Fish with Painted Nails (1990). She won an Eric Gregory Award for her poetry in 1992.
She edited several books for Virago, including The Virago Book of Wicked Verse (1992) and The Virago Book of Love Letters (1994). She has also edited a collection of short stories, School Tales: Stories by Young Women (1990), and with co-editor Margo Daly, Wild Ways: New Stories about Women on the Road (1998) and Gas and Air: Tales of Pregnancy and Birth (2002). She is the author of one book of non-fiction for teenagers, How Do I Look? (1991), which deals with the subject of self-esteem.
Jill Dawson is the author of five novels: Trick of the Light (1996); Magpie (1998), for which she won a London Arts Board New Writers Award; Fred and Edie (2000); Wild Boy (2003); and most recently, Watch Me Disappear (2006). Fred and Edie is based on the historic murder trial of Thompson and Bywaters, and was shortlisted for the 2000 Whitbread Novel Award and the 2001 Orange Prize for Fiction.
Her next novel, The Great Lover, is due for publication in early 2009.
Jill Dawson has taught Creative Writing for many years and was recently the Creative Writing Fellow at the University of East Anglia. She lives with her family in the Cambridgeshire Fens.
Her writing life began as a poet, her poems being published in a variety of small press magazines, and in one pamphlet collection, White Fish with Painted Nails (1990). She won an Eric Gregory Award for her poetry in 1992.
She edited several books for Virago, including The Virago Book of Wicked Verse (1992) and The Virago Book of Love Letters (1994). She has also edited a collection of short stories, School Tales: Stories by Young Women (1990), and with co-editor Margo Daly, Wild Ways: New Stories about Women on the Road (1998) and Gas and Air: Tales of Pregnancy and Birth (2002). She is the author of one book of non-fiction for teenagers, How Do I Look? (1991), which deals with the subject of self-esteem.
Jill Dawson is the author of five novels: Trick of the Light (1996); Magpie (1998), for which she won a London Arts Board New Writers Award; Fred and Edie (2000); Wild Boy (2003); and most recently, Watch Me Disappear (2006). Fred and Edie is based on the historic murder trial of Thompson and Bywaters, and was shortlisted for the 2000 Whitbread Novel Award and the 2001 Orange Prize for Fiction.
Her next novel, The Great Lover, is due for publication in early 2009.
Jill Dawson has taught Creative Writing for many years and was recently the Creative Writing Fellow at the University of East Anglia. She lives with her family in the Cambridgeshire Fens.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 79 reviews
April 27, 2019
Five shiny stars for this book!
It is a fictionalized account of the Lord Lucan case which remains as mysterious as it was approximately forty years ago. The names are changed, and, although the story is based on Sandra Rivett's life, the nanny who is brutally murdered at Lord Lucan's residence, there is much in the novel that we owe to the Jill Dawson's imagination, and I accepted it wholeheartedly as my intention wasn't to read factual documents, but a novel about two young women in the mid-1970 who arrive in London and are overwhelmed by it. Two as the novel has two narrators, Mandy's friend Rosemary, and Mandy, though in her case it is the third-person narration. I found this type of narrating thoughts and events intriguing.
I could not put this novel down ... Why? I felt for both women who have their share of sorrow, suffering and poverty, but who seek love and warmth. The world they leave behind is simple, the world they enter on arrival in London is complicated ...
And one more thing. This is another book that pays respect to the victim and does not focus on the famous murderer. And for this, I'd like to thank Jill Dawson.
It is a fictionalized account of the Lord Lucan case which remains as mysterious as it was approximately forty years ago. The names are changed, and, although the story is based on Sandra Rivett's life, the nanny who is brutally murdered at Lord Lucan's residence, there is much in the novel that we owe to the Jill Dawson's imagination, and I accepted it wholeheartedly as my intention wasn't to read factual documents, but a novel about two young women in the mid-1970 who arrive in London and are overwhelmed by it. Two as the novel has two narrators, Mandy's friend Rosemary, and Mandy, though in her case it is the third-person narration. I found this type of narrating thoughts and events intriguing.
I could not put this novel down ... Why? I felt for both women who have their share of sorrow, suffering and poverty, but who seek love and warmth. The world they leave behind is simple, the world they enter on arrival in London is complicated ...
And one more thing. This is another book that pays respect to the victim and does not focus on the famous murderer. And for this, I'd like to thank Jill Dawson.
March 29, 2019
The Language of Birds is a compelling retelling of the notorious Lord Lucan case. Lucan, an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, disappeared in 1974 after being suspected of murdering his children's nanny, Sandra Rivett. I daresay peoples continued interest in this mystery stems from not knowing whether Lucan, also known as John Bingham, is alive or dead but as a body has yet to be discovered it has fed into many different conspiracy theories about what happened to him. Being a late 80s baby I wasn't too aware of the vibe and the way society worked during the decade this crime took place, however, Ms Dawson does a fantastic job of describing what was acceptable/unacceptable and the range of views from those present during the 1970s and does so in an eminently readable style.
There have been a plethora of books sensationalising the case but none of them are centred around the victim in all of this, Ms Rivett. Ms Dawson dedicates this novel to her and main character Mandy is formed around known information about her; for all intents and purposes, she's a warm, vivid character and most engaging to follow on her journey. I found that the 70s were described beautifully and Dawson explores the issue of class within the context of the story where the affluent family of Lord Lucan is contrasted with the poor, downtrodden nannies who moved in their droves from closed-minded rural locations in search of freedom in the big city. This is a gripping yet sensitive tale which I enjoyed immensely.
Many thanks to Sceptre for an ARC.
There have been a plethora of books sensationalising the case but none of them are centred around the victim in all of this, Ms Rivett. Ms Dawson dedicates this novel to her and main character Mandy is formed around known information about her; for all intents and purposes, she's a warm, vivid character and most engaging to follow on her journey. I found that the 70s were described beautifully and Dawson explores the issue of class within the context of the story where the affluent family of Lord Lucan is contrasted with the poor, downtrodden nannies who moved in their droves from closed-minded rural locations in search of freedom in the big city. This is a gripping yet sensitive tale which I enjoyed immensely.
Many thanks to Sceptre for an ARC.
March 27, 2019
Over the last year or so, I have read a few books on the Lucan murder. Not only the non-fiction account, “A Different Class of Murder,” by “Aiding and Abetting,” by Muriel Spark, and “A Double Life, by Flynn Berry. I highly recommend, “A Different Class of Murder,” found the Muriel Spark interesting, but not one of her best, and was impressed by, “A Double Life,” which looked at the fictional life of one of Lucan’s children, left with the legacy of her father’s disappearance.
Although the above books look at Lucan himself, his marriage, and his children, one person is often side-lined, and that is the nanny, Sandra Rivett, who was murdered in 1974. Author, Jill Dawson, attempts to put Sandra at the centre of this story, although names have been changed slightly. In this novel, Sandra becomes Mandy River, who comes to London, at the suggestion of her friend, Rosemary.
Using Mandy as the main character, Jill Dawson explores the Lucan’s toxic relationship, the effects of their children, and the constant battle that Lucan warred, to gain control of his children. Although the names are altered, Dawson does a good job of bringing Lord Lucan alive on the page; charming, reckless, volatile and intense. Meanwhile, Lady Morven, as she is called here, is emotional, child-like, disconnected, rambling and irrational.
Mandy feels sympathy for her employers vulnerability and a sense of responsibility to the children, which was, perhaps, beyond her years. Her loyalty ended in violence, but I think this is a moving and touching portrait of a family in crisis and the terrible consequences. A good read for book groups, as there is much to discuss.
Although the above books look at Lucan himself, his marriage, and his children, one person is often side-lined, and that is the nanny, Sandra Rivett, who was murdered in 1974. Author, Jill Dawson, attempts to put Sandra at the centre of this story, although names have been changed slightly. In this novel, Sandra becomes Mandy River, who comes to London, at the suggestion of her friend, Rosemary.
Using Mandy as the main character, Jill Dawson explores the Lucan’s toxic relationship, the effects of their children, and the constant battle that Lucan warred, to gain control of his children. Although the names are altered, Dawson does a good job of bringing Lord Lucan alive on the page; charming, reckless, volatile and intense. Meanwhile, Lady Morven, as she is called here, is emotional, child-like, disconnected, rambling and irrational.
Mandy feels sympathy for her employers vulnerability and a sense of responsibility to the children, which was, perhaps, beyond her years. Her loyalty ended in violence, but I think this is a moving and touching portrait of a family in crisis and the terrible consequences. A good read for book groups, as there is much to discuss.
July 1, 2021
Absolutely loved The Language of Birds!
This book is so warm, strong and feminine. I found it on the shelves of the library I work at and was attracted by the 60s/70s imagery on the front cover. The main character Mandy is so likeable and I was hooked by the style of writing; simple yet full of depth. Lots of intricate, unusual metaphors and descriptions that made me feel intrigued about the author. I'm always interested in writing that makes me wonder and admire the authors mind. I had no idea until halfway through, but the story is actually a fictionalised account of events based on the real-life characters and events of the aristocratic Lucan family and their nanny. I won't say much more as it was, for me, a massive spoiler realising this and I would rather have read on oblivious. But yes, Lord and Lady Morven are the fictionalised Lord and Lady Lucan and Mandy is the real-life Sandra Rivett who was the family nanny caught up in the nasty custody-battle.
The writing and characters kind of reminded me of an Edna O'Brien novel. I think that must be the lucid femininity throughout the story; the strength and endurance of women, fertility, and the beauty of female friendship. It really is a beautiful book and I highly recommend.
This book is so warm, strong and feminine. I found it on the shelves of the library I work at and was attracted by the 60s/70s imagery on the front cover. The main character Mandy is so likeable and I was hooked by the style of writing; simple yet full of depth. Lots of intricate, unusual metaphors and descriptions that made me feel intrigued about the author. I'm always interested in writing that makes me wonder and admire the authors mind. I had no idea until halfway through, but the story is actually a fictionalised account of events based on the real-life characters and events of the aristocratic Lucan family and their nanny. I won't say much more as it was, for me, a massive spoiler realising this and I would rather have read on oblivious. But yes, Lord and Lady Morven are the fictionalised Lord and Lady Lucan and Mandy is the real-life Sandra Rivett who was the family nanny caught up in the nasty custody-battle.
The writing and characters kind of reminded me of an Edna O'Brien novel. I think that must be the lucid femininity throughout the story; the strength and endurance of women, fertility, and the beauty of female friendship. It really is a beautiful book and I highly recommend.
December 31, 2024
The sense of foreboding hanging over this was intense. It's a kind of fictionalised retelling of the Lord Lucan nanny incident. Really well done and convincing. Skillfully conjured up the 1970s London setting and the juxtaposition between the haves and the haves nots as well as other issues of the time e.g. unmarried mothers, mental health stigmas, alcoholism, adultery etc. One of those books where you finish the last page and just sit there in silence for a bit.
July 1, 2020
Would have been a good murder mystery but a bit too fluffed up with a layer of supernatural suggestion which seemed unnecessary.
June 25, 2020
A retelling of the Lord Lucan mystery from the perspective of two nannies - one being the victim of his terrible crime.
The Language of the Birds is an intriguing hybrid piece of 'faction', closely following details of the case, including the verbatim testimony of Lady Lucan (the book's Lady Morven) at the resulting inquest of nanny Sandra Rivett (Mandy Rivers).
In three parts: a prelude, the story Mandy's life as a nanny in London and an epilogue, we are told the story by two narrators, Mandy and her friend Rosemary, who have met in a mental health hospital - both struggling with problems encountered in their young lives.
The first section is a little confusing - it flip flops between these two voices and it is sometimes difficult to detect the 'speaker' until you work your way through the text and become more familiar with the details of each character. A one point their is an omniscient narrator who pops up in the middle to provide a third person perspective...never to be heard from again.
We start out with Rosemary who appears to present symptoms of schizophrenia - birds talk to her, always damning or compelling towards negative action. Her mother believes this to be a 'gift' passed down from her grandmother. We later learn that these voices are triggered by traumatic events but what of her visions? On the night of Mandy's murder she sees a mental image of discarded shoes and hear's Mandy's voice: "Rosy, help me". These ethereal touches against the themes of mental health, social attitudes and the perceived role and expected behaviours of women in the 1960s set the scene for this story.
The book also examines society's attitudes to class and domestic violence - physical and mental - and how women were/are frequently blamed for being the catalyst, as well as the victims of such behaviour.
The final section focuses on what happens to Rosemary after the event, how she retreats from society, takes comfort in spiritualism but essentially bears the weight of her friends loss; re-examining the warning signs and the choices made with the benefit of hindsight.
The Language of the Birds is an intriguing hybrid piece of 'faction', closely following details of the case, including the verbatim testimony of Lady Lucan (the book's Lady Morven) at the resulting inquest of nanny Sandra Rivett (Mandy Rivers).
In three parts: a prelude, the story Mandy's life as a nanny in London and an epilogue, we are told the story by two narrators, Mandy and her friend Rosemary, who have met in a mental health hospital - both struggling with problems encountered in their young lives.
The first section is a little confusing - it flip flops between these two voices and it is sometimes difficult to detect the 'speaker' until you work your way through the text and become more familiar with the details of each character. A one point their is an omniscient narrator who pops up in the middle to provide a third person perspective...never to be heard from again.
We start out with Rosemary who appears to present symptoms of schizophrenia - birds talk to her, always damning or compelling towards negative action. Her mother believes this to be a 'gift' passed down from her grandmother. We later learn that these voices are triggered by traumatic events but what of her visions? On the night of Mandy's murder she sees a mental image of discarded shoes and hear's Mandy's voice: "Rosy, help me". These ethereal touches against the themes of mental health, social attitudes and the perceived role and expected behaviours of women in the 1960s set the scene for this story.
The book also examines society's attitudes to class and domestic violence - physical and mental - and how women were/are frequently blamed for being the catalyst, as well as the victims of such behaviour.
The final section focuses on what happens to Rosemary after the event, how she retreats from society, takes comfort in spiritualism but essentially bears the weight of her friends loss; re-examining the warning signs and the choices made with the benefit of hindsight.
February 5, 2021
This book was just absolutely stunning. Dawson's use of language just made me full sink into this story, and of course it was such an important one to tell.
Dawson explored many themes within this book from mental health, family relationships, the conflict of a messy divorce, feminism, friendship, class/society, female sexuality, and it just hooked me all the way through.
The relationship between Katherine and Dickie was so toxic, and for parts of the book, I had no idea who to sympathise with, especially as Mandy and their children were put right in the middle of their conflict, and even how Rosemary was dragged into it.
.
I also just adored Mandy as a character. She is someone I want to have as a friend, though I cannot quite say the same about Rosemary, though I did love the complexity of their friendship and the development of Rosemary throughout the novel.
I'm a little obsessed with this book, and honestly did not know much about the real story before reading this. I think it was SUCH an important story to tell, especially as Sandra Rivett was largely ignored by the press at the time despite being the one who was victim to Lord Lucan. Voices like hers need to be heard and Dawson did this beautifully.
Dawson explored many themes within this book from mental health, family relationships, the conflict of a messy divorce, feminism, friendship, class/society, female sexuality, and it just hooked me all the way through.
The relationship between Katherine and Dickie was so toxic, and for parts of the book, I had no idea who to sympathise with, especially as Mandy and their children were put right in the middle of their conflict, and even how Rosemary was dragged into it.
.
I also just adored Mandy as a character. She is someone I want to have as a friend, though I cannot quite say the same about Rosemary, though I did love the complexity of their friendship and the development of Rosemary throughout the novel.
I'm a little obsessed with this book, and honestly did not know much about the real story before reading this. I think it was SUCH an important story to tell, especially as Sandra Rivett was largely ignored by the press at the time despite being the one who was victim to Lord Lucan. Voices like hers need to be heard and Dawson did this beautifully.
April 8, 2020
I was 15 in 1974 and remember the murder of Sandra Rivett and the disappearance of the prime suspect, Lord Lucan. Even at the time, the focus was more on Lord Lucan than the victim and she became a minor distraction to subsequent events and eventually in the main forgotten.
Dawson in this fictionalisation of those events puts Sandra in the forefront of the story as Mandy River.
The story is told through two nannies Mandy and her friend Rosemary. Rosemary's point of view being in the first person, Mandy's in the third.
Throughout Dawson's use of language is very poetic and her descriptions give a real sense of place and times of the 1970s.
That said, using the term 'a Dick Emery walk may go over the head of some of the readership. It cases like this it will be worth a look on You Tube.
Dawson in this fictionalisation of those events puts Sandra in the forefront of the story as Mandy River.
The story is told through two nannies Mandy and her friend Rosemary. Rosemary's point of view being in the first person, Mandy's in the third.
Throughout Dawson's use of language is very poetic and her descriptions give a real sense of place and times of the 1970s.
That said, using the term 'a Dick Emery walk may go over the head of some of the readership. It cases like this it will be worth a look on You Tube.
March 28, 2022
After a bit of a slow start, I did enjoy this book for what it was, but mainly for the atmosphere it created. I found the character of Rosemary slightly strange, especially considering that this is a book based on a true crime committed and I am not entirely sure if she added anything to the story in my opinion.
March 9, 2025
Doesn’t interest me
June 22, 2020
Breathtaking, I absolutely fell in love with Mandy. The afterword made this book so much more personal.
July 21, 2020
Interesting, I'm too young to know anything about Lord Lucan, only as someone who mysteriously disappeared, I had no idea he murdered a woman. This is a good fictionalised version of the story.
August 1, 2020
A telling of the 'Lord Lucan' story from the point of view of nannies one of whom was murdered by Lucan.
Sad and shows how even as a murderer a wealthy and titled man gets more sympathy than his victim.
Sad and shows how even as a murderer a wealthy and titled man gets more sympathy than his victim.
May 18, 2019
This is a fictional retelling of the Lord Lucan scandal of 1974, from the angle of the nanny who would be his eventual victim, Sandra Rivett ( whose name is changed to Mandy River in the story). Mandy is 29, pretty and petite, charming and caring, not in any way naive, alive to the new experiences London and a new job can offer. Her story proceeds in the third person, while her friend Rosemary tells us her version in the first person, carrying on beyond the murder itself. Rosemary’s belief in her own powers of intuition or premonition (she is the one who listens to the birds) are of little help. Lady Morven her employer (Lady Lucan) comes over as a victim herself, in thrall to her handsome husband who beats her, and hires detectives to spy on the house she occupies with her two children. His main aim is to get custody of his children in order to destroy her.
The disappearance of Lord Lucan after the murder has helped to create a mythology around him; to all manner of speculations about “sightings”, and to literature about the case. This has been aided and abetted by his so called physical charms and the public’s appetite for glimpses into the lives of the rich. Jill Dawson explains the close parallels between Mandy’s previous life and Sandra Rivett’s. The inquest scene is reproduced verbatim, which is interesting. By writing the nanny’s story, albeit in fictional form, she hopes to right the balance, which has been weighted in favour of the Lucan family. The victim, as so often happens, suffers a second death by neglect. Jill Dawson’s other intention was to tell the story of a working class girl plunged into a world which hides its nastiness with the sheer power of money and class.
The story is well written though I have some reservations: I did not find Rosemary convincing .Her narrative suffers from the idea that working class women think and speak in the way portrayed. Her communications with birds feel more like afterthoughts. It is Mandy who has a more complicated inner life, probably because she has a past where love and abuse have featured. The other thing I found slightly irritating and contrived were the frequent references to products for conveying “period colour”. Walnut Whip comes up as the favourite.
It feels like a story that needed to be told. The murder does not lose its grimness in the telling, which is done with expertise. Mandy and her supportive role in the household come over as very real and so does the character of poor Katharine (Lady Morven/ Lady Lucan) and - the few times we encounter him - Lord Morven himself(Lucan). The complete indifference and self centredness of that milieu is palpable in the episode when the girls and their charges are invited by Lord Lucan to the country house for a “holiday”. It feels well rooted in centuries of snobbery.
The disappearance of Lord Lucan after the murder has helped to create a mythology around him; to all manner of speculations about “sightings”, and to literature about the case. This has been aided and abetted by his so called physical charms and the public’s appetite for glimpses into the lives of the rich. Jill Dawson explains the close parallels between Mandy’s previous life and Sandra Rivett’s. The inquest scene is reproduced verbatim, which is interesting. By writing the nanny’s story, albeit in fictional form, she hopes to right the balance, which has been weighted in favour of the Lucan family. The victim, as so often happens, suffers a second death by neglect. Jill Dawson’s other intention was to tell the story of a working class girl plunged into a world which hides its nastiness with the sheer power of money and class.
The story is well written though I have some reservations: I did not find Rosemary convincing .Her narrative suffers from the idea that working class women think and speak in the way portrayed. Her communications with birds feel more like afterthoughts. It is Mandy who has a more complicated inner life, probably because she has a past where love and abuse have featured. The other thing I found slightly irritating and contrived were the frequent references to products for conveying “period colour”. Walnut Whip comes up as the favourite.
It feels like a story that needed to be told. The murder does not lose its grimness in the telling, which is done with expertise. Mandy and her supportive role in the household come over as very real and so does the character of poor Katharine (Lady Morven/ Lady Lucan) and - the few times we encounter him - Lord Morven himself(Lucan). The complete indifference and self centredness of that milieu is palpable in the episode when the girls and their charges are invited by Lord Lucan to the country house for a “holiday”. It feels well rooted in centuries of snobbery.
July 7, 2020
The Language of Birds is a interesting interpretation of a non-fiction event. I love this type of book when writers aim to show a event from a different characters point of view. Take Sally Magnusson Seal Women's gift as example.
Although this story was good I wasn't gripped.
I was sometimes confused; mainly due to the switching of narrators. It was sometimes difficult to work out which narrator had taken over.
There's many things this book gets right: giving a voice to woman in a time when woman's voices weren't heard, re-centralizing a murder case around the victim rather than the suspect, tackling woman place in society, poverty and mental illness.
However I think Dawson sometimes doesn't fully convey ideas she's started. Things like Rosemary's "gifts" sometimes felt like after thoughts and made these parts vague and intangible.
I also struggled with the role of Dr Ryan in the novel again there are hints of something being off but in my view it never amounted to much and felt a bit flat and unfinished.
Overall a interesting read but not something I was gripped on.
Although this story was good I wasn't gripped.
I was sometimes confused; mainly due to the switching of narrators. It was sometimes difficult to work out which narrator had taken over.
There's many things this book gets right: giving a voice to woman in a time when woman's voices weren't heard, re-centralizing a murder case around the victim rather than the suspect, tackling woman place in society, poverty and mental illness.
However I think Dawson sometimes doesn't fully convey ideas she's started. Things like Rosemary's "gifts" sometimes felt like after thoughts and made these parts vague and intangible.
I also struggled with the role of Dr Ryan in the novel again there are hints of something being off but in my view it never amounted to much and felt a bit flat and unfinished.
Overall a interesting read but not something I was gripped on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2019
Riveting historical fiction which puts the spotlight in a murder mystery on the rightful subject, the victim, the nanny.
Alternating chapters are narrated by nannying friends Rose Mary and Mandy. I couldn’t put this book down, the writing is brilliant, the feminist take righteous, the poetic haunting of it exquisite.
Alternating chapters are narrated by nannying friends Rose Mary and Mandy. I couldn’t put this book down, the writing is brilliant, the feminist take righteous, the poetic haunting of it exquisite.
July 3, 2020
This is a fictional retelling of the very real Lord Lucan case (rich aristocrat kills nanny and disappears forever), and is told from the perspectives of two nannies. The events transpire in 1974 in London, and of course we know from the start that one of the nannies will end up dead at the end of the book.
I had no idea what I actually thought about this book until I had finished it. Sometimes I found it intriguing and kind of lyrical, sometimes I didn’t really see the point, and sometimes I was just plain bored. However, it wraps the whole thing up so nicely, and it definitely gets the point across: this book is here to give the victim a voice. Not only in the Lord Lucan case (but it’s a very good example), media and the public all too often find ways to make the perpetrators of a crime the sole focus. It’s sort of understandable in this case, I guess, because Lord Lucan disappeared and was never found, but in all of that the victim is forgotten. In this book we get to unfold the nanny’s life and everything that leads her to be at that specific place in that specific time, where she unfortunately gets murdered by a crazy lord.
There are also reflections on men’s and the society’s abuse against women - how women tended (and to a degree still tend) to be viewed as crazy and hysterical, but in the end it’s the men that murder and abuse. In the Lord Lucan case, his wife is portrayed to have been such a nuisance that obviously she must have driven the good lord to commit murder. The poor nanny, who he mistook for his wife during the murder, was just an unfortunate bystander who was caught up in the destructive relationship of a crazy countess and her “sweet” husband Lord Lucan.
Anyway, enough ranting. The book changes all the names, adds a few characters, and take some other fictional liberties, but this is finally a story about Sandra Rivett (in the book called Mandy), who finally gets a voice.
I had no idea what I actually thought about this book until I had finished it. Sometimes I found it intriguing and kind of lyrical, sometimes I didn’t really see the point, and sometimes I was just plain bored. However, it wraps the whole thing up so nicely, and it definitely gets the point across: this book is here to give the victim a voice. Not only in the Lord Lucan case (but it’s a very good example), media and the public all too often find ways to make the perpetrators of a crime the sole focus. It’s sort of understandable in this case, I guess, because Lord Lucan disappeared and was never found, but in all of that the victim is forgotten. In this book we get to unfold the nanny’s life and everything that leads her to be at that specific place in that specific time, where she unfortunately gets murdered by a crazy lord.
There are also reflections on men’s and the society’s abuse against women - how women tended (and to a degree still tend) to be viewed as crazy and hysterical, but in the end it’s the men that murder and abuse. In the Lord Lucan case, his wife is portrayed to have been such a nuisance that obviously she must have driven the good lord to commit murder. The poor nanny, who he mistook for his wife during the murder, was just an unfortunate bystander who was caught up in the destructive relationship of a crazy countess and her “sweet” husband Lord Lucan.
Anyway, enough ranting. The book changes all the names, adds a few characters, and take some other fictional liberties, but this is finally a story about Sandra Rivett (in the book called Mandy), who finally gets a voice.
May 12, 2019
(3.5 rating) Reflective of many stories in the past, the 1974 murder of nanny Sandra Hensby Rivett was extensively covered in the British press. However, the focus was always on the disappearance of the suspected murderer, Lord Lucan, the estranged husband of Lady Lucan and the father of their two children. Using the core facts of the case and of the nanny's life leading up to her murder, Dawson reimagines the story and presents it from a female perspective: both from a 3rd person narrative about Sandra (Mandy, in the novel) and from the 1st person account of Mandy's close friend, Rosemary, who also works as a nanny for a neighbouring family. Names are changed in the fictionalised account of the case.
Not as literary as Pat Barker's "Silence of the Girls", this novel does succeed, however, in giving voice to the stifled voices of the women who were victim to men's power and abuse. Rosemary's self-reproach after Mandy's death hides none of her anger regarding the excuses made for abusive men, for the physical and emotional violence for which they are seldom held accountable, instead the female victims seen as having given them cause for their actions. This part of the narrative was the most powerful in the novel, particularly because naive Rosemary had allowed herself to be mesmerised by the charm of Lord Morven.
The novel is engaging, though I dismissed as far-fetched the inclusion of Rosemary's "gift": her superstitious nature and her "ability" to read the signs of Nature and the "language of the birds" who spoke to her. Her background of mental illness afforded her an introduction to Mandy, who was also hospitalised in the same institution in their earlier years; however, I felt that Rosemary's visions and voices were given too much attention by the author.
Not as literary as Pat Barker's "Silence of the Girls", this novel does succeed, however, in giving voice to the stifled voices of the women who were victim to men's power and abuse. Rosemary's self-reproach after Mandy's death hides none of her anger regarding the excuses made for abusive men, for the physical and emotional violence for which they are seldom held accountable, instead the female victims seen as having given them cause for their actions. This part of the narrative was the most powerful in the novel, particularly because naive Rosemary had allowed herself to be mesmerised by the charm of Lord Morven.
The novel is engaging, though I dismissed as far-fetched the inclusion of Rosemary's "gift": her superstitious nature and her "ability" to read the signs of Nature and the "language of the birds" who spoke to her. Her background of mental illness afforded her an introduction to Mandy, who was also hospitalised in the same institution in their earlier years; however, I felt that Rosemary's visions and voices were given too much attention by the author.
June 12, 2019
After a traumatic time involving giving up two children and psychiatric care Mandy River is ready to move forward. She arrives in London to work as a nanny with little training but lots of experience and is taken on by Lady Morven to look after her two children. Mandy is supported by her friend Rosemary, a Norland Nanny, and she falls for Neville, a local man. Life in the Morven household is chaotic with fragile Lady Morven in the midst of a bitter battle with her estranged husband, the glamorous gambling Lord Morven. Eventually this has to end in tragedy.
Dawson says that she wanted to write about Lord Lucan but wanted some artistic licence and here she has imagined characters grounded in fact but embellished with fiction. Mandy is a rather tragic character, Lady Morven hard to like and Lord Morven may or may not be a killer. The period touches are immaculate - contraception and sex, racism and fashion are handled brilliantly - the life of society and poverty in 1970s London is juxtaposed. There is a certain degree of floweriness to the writing in places but the sadness of all comes through.
Dawson says that she wanted to write about Lord Lucan but wanted some artistic licence and here she has imagined characters grounded in fact but embellished with fiction. Mandy is a rather tragic character, Lady Morven hard to like and Lord Morven may or may not be a killer. The period touches are immaculate - contraception and sex, racism and fashion are handled brilliantly - the life of society and poverty in 1970s London is juxtaposed. There is a certain degree of floweriness to the writing in places but the sadness of all comes through.
May 9, 2021
Note to self: do not read the Afterword before the book. Because of this - spoiler alert, I knew that this book was heavily based on the Lord Lucan affair, so I knew how it would end. I know Jill Dawson chose to fictionalise this narrative to protect the many people still living who played their part in this story. I wonder how protected they feel, as I suspect this account sails very close to what actually took place?
That aside, this book is a page turner. Mandy the nanny comes across as a warm, likeable person, despite the very difficult circumstances of her childhood, teenage years and young adulthood. Her friend Rosemary, who plays the part of slightly unreliable narrator for part of the story is the vehicle for recurring imagery about birds and the freedom they seem to enjoy.
There's much to relish here about the portrayal of 1970s England, about class, about mental illness and domestic violence. It's worth reading for this alone.
That aside, this book is a page turner. Mandy the nanny comes across as a warm, likeable person, despite the very difficult circumstances of her childhood, teenage years and young adulthood. Her friend Rosemary, who plays the part of slightly unreliable narrator for part of the story is the vehicle for recurring imagery about birds and the freedom they seem to enjoy.
There's much to relish here about the portrayal of 1970s England, about class, about mental illness and domestic violence. It's worth reading for this alone.
May 23, 2024
This was a 3.5 not a 3 and I really enjoyed it …
It was certainly not my usual kind of book as I tend to read more surreal tales . But this was engrossing and a chilling reminder of society’s fascination and prioritisation of upper class white men, however violent and abusive, to the detriment of women and minorities.
Set during my lifetime it reminded me of the battles women had even more frequently in the 80s around their rights, perceptions of motherhood and equality in the law (although I do not suggest these battles are over now). The story, based on fictional characters emulating the real tale of Lord Lucan, saw the men get away with murder, literally. The murdered nanny and her friend who lost everything were forgotten, and the story sensationalised. Glamorous notoriety for the violent abuser and collective amnesia surrounding the real victims.
Clever and well written this is worth a read.
It was certainly not my usual kind of book as I tend to read more surreal tales . But this was engrossing and a chilling reminder of society’s fascination and prioritisation of upper class white men, however violent and abusive, to the detriment of women and minorities.
Set during my lifetime it reminded me of the battles women had even more frequently in the 80s around their rights, perceptions of motherhood and equality in the law (although I do not suggest these battles are over now). The story, based on fictional characters emulating the real tale of Lord Lucan, saw the men get away with murder, literally. The murdered nanny and her friend who lost everything were forgotten, and the story sensationalised. Glamorous notoriety for the violent abuser and collective amnesia surrounding the real victims.
Clever and well written this is worth a read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2021
A strange, moving and exceedingly well written book, that, although fiction, gives some closure to the life and death of the nanny involved in the 1974 Lord Lucan mystery. The fictional Lord and Lady Morven (Lucan) were the aristocrats about whom the media loved to spin their yarns. But it was the nanny's background story and that of her close friend, another nanny, whose poor backgrounds should have been told. The attitudes and secrecy surrounding babies born 'out of wedlock' is explored and the titbits about 1960s/70s life like fashion and Honey magazine that struck a chord with me. You're taken into life-like mental health problems, alcohol and domestic abuse, so the story isn't for the faint hearted. I agree with Paula Hawkins whose review is on the back cover of the book: "...a brilliant riposte to all the Lucan myth-making that has developed over the years".
September 26, 2021
I really enjoyed this book which is a fictional take on the Lord Lucan affair of 1974. Rather than focusing on Lord Lucan, it’s written from the perspective of two young female friends who leave the Norfolk Fens and go to work as nannies for two wealthy families in London. They both leave behind difficult pasts in the hope of a brighter future. Names have been changed but one of the nannies is Sandra Rivett who worked for the Lucan family for 10 weeks and was then brutally murdered in their house.
Jill Dawson writes so well and I was fully immersed in this story. It is amazing how still, today, there is more information online about Lord Lucan and his disappearance rather than about poor Sandra Rivett: it really highlights how women’s voices often went unheard and still, to an extent, do! Thanks to Jill Dawson for writing this novel and dedicating it to Sandra.
Jill Dawson writes so well and I was fully immersed in this story. It is amazing how still, today, there is more information online about Lord Lucan and his disappearance rather than about poor Sandra Rivett: it really highlights how women’s voices often went unheard and still, to an extent, do! Thanks to Jill Dawson for writing this novel and dedicating it to Sandra.
June 16, 2019
For those of us of an age to remember the Lord Lucan case in 1974, this book is inspired by the events of this mysterious event and the murder of their nanny. There have been many books written about this scandal but most focus on Lord Lucan and his relationship with his wife.
The main protagonist in this novel is Mandy River. The names have been changed but the character Mandy's life, tells the tale of the real nanny, Sandra Rivett who was murdered.
Although this book is a work of fiction, there are many true facts about Sandra Rivett's life interwoven into this story. I think Jill Dawson did a great job of actually taking the focus from Lord Lucan and placing the spotlight on the nanny, the murder victim, telling her story.
This was a good read which I would recommend.
The main protagonist in this novel is Mandy River. The names have been changed but the character Mandy's life, tells the tale of the real nanny, Sandra Rivett who was murdered.
Although this book is a work of fiction, there are many true facts about Sandra Rivett's life interwoven into this story. I think Jill Dawson did a great job of actually taking the focus from Lord Lucan and placing the spotlight on the nanny, the murder victim, telling her story.
This was a good read which I would recommend.
July 6, 2020
This is another book about the power men have over women and the danger they can represent. This beautifully written novel tells the story of a woman who becomes a nanny for an aristocratic family who are going through an acrimonious divorce. There is a dual narrative of the nanny and her friend who has a spiritual connection with birds and believes she can speak to and understand them ( this lands her in an asylum and this is where she meets her friend who she then encourages to be a nanny). The book has an under current of danger weaved throughout and explores topics such as motherhood, friendship, relationships and class. It was an enjoyable and quick read - I will be looking out for more of her books in the future.
August 16, 2020
This is a fictionalised retelling of the murder of Sandra Rivett by (allegedly) Lord Lucan back in 1974. The problem with this book is that at the back of the reader's mind at all times is the question: "How do the family and surviving friends of the victim feel about this?" and the possible answer to this question left a nasty taste in my mind. At the time, all the emphasis was on the alleged murderer and the author is trying to bring it back to Sandra Rivett but I couldn't stop feeling that I was intruding into a space I shouldn't be in. And as this is fictionalised we are given verbatim conversations and actions that are accorded to the victim and those around her which, of course, never took place. I found this a difficult book to read and wish I hadn't in the end.
July 26, 2019
There has to be some justification for taking a well-known true story, still within the memory of many living, and renaming and re-imagining the characters while staying faithful to the bare bones of the record. This novel takes Lord Lucan's alleged murder of the nanny, but puts her and her friend at the centre, so changing the focus on both class and experience. The justification, then, is that this restores a woman who was otherwise silenced, both literally and metaphorically and insists her life matters more than becoming an accidental victim and corpse on the floor. Lord 'Morven' and his wife are horrors, but the forms of coercion he employs are all too plausible.
March 1, 2024
This novel is based on the real-life murder of Lady Lucan's nanny, Sandra Rivett. Names have been changed, although the basic plot line follows the Lord Lucan case fairly closely.
There are some interesting themes in the novel, such as mental health, hearing voices and spiritualism, society's attitude to women and sexuality in the 1970s, class differences in 1970s Britain. At first, I found it quite difficult to distinguish between the characters of the 2 nannies, Mandy and her friend Rosemary. There also seems to be a 3rd person narrator at times.
An interesting read, but I didn't find it compelling.
There are some interesting themes in the novel, such as mental health, hearing voices and spiritualism, society's attitude to women and sexuality in the 1970s, class differences in 1970s Britain. At first, I found it quite difficult to distinguish between the characters of the 2 nannies, Mandy and her friend Rosemary. There also seems to be a 3rd person narrator at times.
An interesting read, but I didn't find it compelling.
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