By: Cindy of hellodollface
I confess, I love books like The Nanny Diaries. I remember gobbling that one up and handing it off to my friend telling her it was a must read. When fun yet compelling novels come along, I stop everything and read until I turn that last page. When the movie version came out, you better believe I paid my ten dollars on opening weekend to watch. How could we not love Laura Linney as Mrs. X?
I was thrilled to get an advance copy of Nanny Returns, the sequel to The Nanny Diaries. We get to see what Nan has been up to (living abroad with husband Ryan) and we revisit Grayer, now a rebellious sixteen year old. Nan is pulled back into the lives of the X family and this time, its Grayer and his little brother Stilton that need her help- and love. I talked to authors Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, here is our exclusive interview.
When and why did you decide to return to the world of Nan?
For years we had been just as curious as readers about what happened to Nan and all the characters in the first book. We pictured a happy hazy sunset for Nan, but didn’t let ourselves think about Grayer too much because we weren’t optimistic about his chances. Then last Spring we had a series of A-ha moments back-to-back and before we knew it a story had unspooled before us. We were inspired by articles we read about private schools being taken over by parents who wanted to buy their children a world without consequences.
Then we read about the Astor trial and something about a son turning his father in for embezzling from his mother really struck us. Of course the Madoff story was rife with gripping family dynamics, from the sons turning in their father to the father/son accounting firm that had enabled the fraud in the first place. It all got our minds churning about pulling back to look at the larger impact of the "X" community.
What did it feel like to slip back into Nan’s shoes? How has she transformed through the last eight years?
It was wonderful to revisit her and all the characters, to write Grayer at four and now at sixteen and Mrs. X is always a good time from a creative standpoint. No longer twenty-one, Nan is now a married woman of thirty-three so we took pains to make sure to carve a realistic story within these new adult parameters. She’s learned how to say no, but her love and compassion still embroil her past what many people might put up with. That’s our girl.
How have the two of you changed since The Nanny Diaries was published?
We have grey hairs! This January will mark the, gulp, 10th year of our writing partnership. We really have grown up together. Thankfully we have much more perspective now than we did in our mid-twenties. We were so unprepared for the attention the book received and were like stunned bunnies for most of it. Now, grounded by our families, dogs and faith in our partnership, we have learned to really enjoy the ups and downs.
How did the great success of the book impact your lives?
It enabled us to leave our other jobs and write full-time, which is amazing. We pinch ourselves every day that we pay the rent telling stories.
Do you like to read? What are some books you’ve read lately?
We love to read! We are both reading Behind the Scenes at the Museum right now, which we love. Nicki just finished The Time Traveler’s Wife, which was transporting. And Emma just finished Brideshead Revisited. We like sweeping stories that take place in beautiful places. That said, Nicki also just squeezed in The Road, which was beautiful, if apocalyptic.
Because I run a beauty blog, I have to ask what are your favorite beauty products?
We love beauty products in general and could live at Sephora. Nicki loves Trish McEvoy, especially the under-eye concealor and the mascara—no raccoon eyes. Emma loves Trish too and mixes it up with Becca. And we’re both big fans of the Nude skin care line.
What’s next for the two of you?
We are currently working on our next Young Adult novel, which will be a follow up to The Real Real, our satire of the world of teen reality television.
