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A Historical Page-Turner for Women’s History Month: The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks

22 Mar

I’ve always had a penchant for reading historical fiction and it’s especially more appealing when the story focuses on New Jersey history and prominent Garden State figures such as Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks is a compelling and riveting new historical novel about America’s most notorious kidnapping through the eyes of the woman who found herself at the heart of this deadly crime.

Betty Gow, a Scottish immigrant, is hired by the infamous Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh to serve as the nanny for their precious little Charles Jr. Betty has recently relocated to New Jersey to begin working for the renowned Lindberghs and has to acclimate herself to their refined and aristocratic lifestyle as well as the upperclass environment. She quickly bonds with the adorable Charles Jr. as well as the other down-to-earth household staff. However, her relationship with the famed Lindberghs is somewhat strained, because Colonel Lindbergh is eccentric and often odd, and Mrs. Lindbergh is kind yet nervous, not allowing her to develop a rapport. They also spend a considerable amount of time traveling, leaving Betty to her own devices. She settles into the palatial Englewood mansion of Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s parents as the famous couple awaits the construction of their own lavish estate in the quaint village of Hopewell, NJ. She assumes her duties as nanny with utmost care and compassion and develops a daily routine with her charge involving outdoor playtime, story time, feeding, naps, etc. Far from home and bruised from a love affair gone horribly wrong, Betty finds comfort in caring for Charles Jr. and warms to the attentions of handsome sailor Henrik, also known as Red, whom she meets at a nightclub on a night out with some of the household staff.

Then, tragedy strikes when Charles Jr. is kidnapped from the family home in 1932 under her supposed care and the case makes international headlines. Betty Gow, a formerly obscure young woman, is now known around the world by another name: the Lindbergh Nanny. Suddenly a suspect in the eyes of both the media and the public, she must find the truth about what really happened that night, in order to clear her own name and to find justice for the child she loves.

At this point, the story becomes more of a mystery or whodunit as the local authorities investigate the kidnapping and begin prying into the personal lives of the household staff, including Betty. They believe the kidnapping is an inside job, so past skeletons and dark secrets are unearthed causing tension and suspicion. Even Betty begins digging into matters in an effort to comfort and appease the Lindberghs and her own guilty conscience. The media also becomes quite cruel by printing outlandish gossip and pointing the finger at any number of suspects thus causing a riff in the relationships among the closely-knit household staff. As rumors and gossip spiral out of control, Betty maintains her innocence and becomes a resolute and steadfast witness as well as an honest and admirable individual with sincere convictions.

This was a fascinating and engrossing read, which inspired me to pursue more research about the Lindbergh kidnapping and the people involved after I had finished the book. You can check out The Kidnap Years: The Astonishing True History of the Forgotten Epidemic That Shook Depression-Era America by David Stout for a True Crime exploration of the kidnappings that were frequent during the Great Depression Era. New Jersey’s Lindbergh Kidnapping and Trial by Mark W. Falzini and James Davidson, part of the Images of America Series, features historic photographs from the investigation and trial.

Written by:
Ethan Galvin
Information and Digital Services Librarian

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Super Secret Society Speculative Fiction: London Séance Society, Backpacking through Bedlam, and Kaiju Preservation Society

8 Mar

London Séance Society
by Sarah Penner
London Seance Society is by Sarah Penner, the bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary. It has a little of everything: mystery, romance, supernatural elements, and nonstop drama. This is a novel with many twists. You will be wondering throughout who are the trustworthy charterers and who are the villains. Set in the Victorian era during the height of Spiritualism it is the tale of both charlatans and true believers along with those caught up in their machinations. Leanna Wickets joins renowned spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire in attempting to solve the murder of her sister as well as the death of Vaudeline’s friend, The President of the exclusive male only London Séance Society. As they struggle to survive their investigations of the spirit world as well as mortal men, romance between the two begins to spark. This is a gothic tale with a modern sensibility, which kept me guessing till the end. For those fascinated by the time period, there are some interesting bonuses at the end including historical notes, instructions on making a candle, and Victorian funeral cookie and punch recipes. I received early copies of London Séance Society and Backpacking Through Bedlam through Netgalley and the publishers in order to provide our readers with honest opinions about the titles.

Backpacking Through Bedlam
by Seanan McGuire
Seanan McGuire’s InCryptid series just gets better and better with each book. The Price Family were once part of the Covenant of St. George, monster hunters who first set about to rid the world of dragons and who then began to remove anything they deemed “unnatural” even non human, sentient beings, who are harmless. Now the Price family are at odds with their old allies and parts of their own family tree, working as cryptozoologists trying to preserve the creatures, their family once hunted. Different books in the series follow various family members. Backpacking Through Bedlam follows Alice as does the previous book in the series Spelunking Through Hell; I would definitely recommend reading that book prior to this one. Alice became a bounty hunter in order to get access to the magic she would need to find her husband who was taken and hidden by the Crossroads in another dimension. The previous novel deals with her quest and this one takes a peak at what comes after the happily ever after in a moving and poignant way, beyond what you might expect from a series with Gothic Lolita Shapeshifters and ghostly babysitters. Though there is humor and fun in the books, the deep family relationships including those by birth and found family are the heart of the novels. Included, as have been in previous books, is a bonus novella dealing with other members of the Price family, in this case “The Mysteries of the Stolen God and Where His Waffles Went” which gives more insight into the lives of the Aeslin Mice, who co-habitat with the Price family and worship them as deities.

Kaiju Preservation Society
by John Salzi
The Kaiju Preservation Society was a book we read as part of the Hoboken Public Library’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion Group in February. Much like the InCryptid series, it manages to weave in some humor with its fantastic elements; several times it had me laughing out loud. I enjoyed it even more than Redshirts, another book we read as part of the discussion group, which is also a fun read. The books starts just as the Covid-19 Pandemic is starting to be felt in New York. Jaime is out of work and willing to take just about anything to make ends meet. Little could our narrator expect that their flight to Greenland was only the beginning of their adventure. Jaime learns that there is another dimension where the Kaiju from Japanese Monster Movies are real and they must now aid in their study and preservation (in the novel Jamie’s gender is never defined by the author). The novel takes a satirical look at our current society, which adds some depth for me, to what is overall a terrific popcorn book; though I know one other reader felt some of those moments felt a bit forced. Fans of Jurassic Park, Pacific Rim, and of course Japanese Kaiju films will enjoy. Next Month the Discussion Group will be reading The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.

Written by:
Aimée Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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