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readincolour's review against another edition
4.0
Thirty year old Zora Anderson has floated from place to place and job to job on a whim. Moving on when things become too much to handle, she finds herself in New York with a place to stay, but in desperate need of a job. The college-educated daughter of upwardly mobile parents, Zora realizes that she's not living up to the goal her parents have set for her. Even still, the former au pair in France decides to give being a New York nanny a try.
Kate Carter is headed back to work after an extended maternity leave and the search is on to find the perfect nanny. She has regrets about leaving her infant son home with a stranger, but figures the ad she's placed will guarantee a perfect fit.
Substitute Me: Looking for a nanny who will take care of my six-month-old baby as if he were her own. Five full days a week. No cooking or cleaning required. Must love children and be prepared to show it. References required.
Raised in a working class neighborhood, Brad Carter is hesitant to bring in a nanny to watch his son, Oliver. While his and Kate's jobs afford them certain privileges, he's unsure that this new situation meshes well with the way he was raised. As Kate begins to work longer hours and Brad becomes more accustomed to Zora's presence in the house, it seems that the 'substitute me' is beginning to take on additional duties that have nothing to do with baby Oliver.
It's important to note that while Zora is black and the Carters are white, their races are not necessarily the central issue. It seems to me that the issue is one woman completely giving power over her life to someone else and then questioning it when that person steps in and does a better job at it. Kate and her mother make racially charged comments about Zora, but if they were being honest with themselves, they would realize that her race has nothing to do with the situation Kate finds herself in.
In Jodi Picoult fashion, Lori L. Tharp has crafted a nanny story that gives the reader all sides. Often the story is only told from the point of view of the nanny. In Substitute Me, you really get a chance to learn the characters and understand that perception really is reality.
What did you like about this book?
It really made me think beyond the obvious. As a black woman, I think I see race first sometimes and sex second. This book made me realize that in this case, while race played a small part, overall it was not caused the real conflict.
What didn't you like about this book?
Zora's relationship with Keith isn't as fleshed out as I would have liked to see it.
What could the author do to improve this book?
I don't know that I love the cover of the book. Nothing about it screams nanny lit or anything else that would grab my eye. If I saw it in the bookstore, I would assume it was a thriller/murder mystery just based on its darkness.
Kate Carter is headed back to work after an extended maternity leave and the search is on to find the perfect nanny. She has regrets about leaving her infant son home with a stranger, but figures the ad she's placed will guarantee a perfect fit.
Substitute Me: Looking for a nanny who will take care of my six-month-old baby as if he were her own. Five full days a week. No cooking or cleaning required. Must love children and be prepared to show it. References required.
Raised in a working class neighborhood, Brad Carter is hesitant to bring in a nanny to watch his son, Oliver. While his and Kate's jobs afford them certain privileges, he's unsure that this new situation meshes well with the way he was raised. As Kate begins to work longer hours and Brad becomes more accustomed to Zora's presence in the house, it seems that the 'substitute me' is beginning to take on additional duties that have nothing to do with baby Oliver.
It's important to note that while Zora is black and the Carters are white, their races are not necessarily the central issue. It seems to me that the issue is one woman completely giving power over her life to someone else and then questioning it when that person steps in and does a better job at it. Kate and her mother make racially charged comments about Zora, but if they were being honest with themselves, they would realize that her race has nothing to do with the situation Kate finds herself in.
In Jodi Picoult fashion, Lori L. Tharp has crafted a nanny story that gives the reader all sides. Often the story is only told from the point of view of the nanny. In Substitute Me, you really get a chance to learn the characters and understand that perception really is reality.
What did you like about this book?
It really made me think beyond the obvious. As a black woman, I think I see race first sometimes and sex second. This book made me realize that in this case, while race played a small part, overall it was not caused the real conflict.
What didn't you like about this book?
Zora's relationship with Keith isn't as fleshed out as I would have liked to see it.
What could the author do to improve this book?
I don't know that I love the cover of the book. Nothing about it screams nanny lit or anything else that would grab my eye. If I saw it in the bookstore, I would assume it was a thriller/murder mystery just based on its darkness.
readingbutterfly's review against another edition
3.0
This was a decent story, but had the potential to be a really good book if (do not read the spoiler if you do not want to hear about the end of the book)
The story was decent without adding all the extra drama.I actually was intrigued with the relationship between of Kate and Zora.
Happy Reading,
Erika
Spoiler
the romance between the nanny and the husband didn't just show up. There was no build up it just happened. It was actually quite hard to believe considering he never even had a real conversation with her and then all of a sudden he was sooo in love her.The story was decent without adding all the extra drama.I actually was intrigued with the relationship between of Kate and Zora.
Happy Reading,
Erika
niaforrester's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. The situation was intriguing, the characters interesting on an individual basis, and the relationship between Kate and Zora fascinating, given the issues of race, class, feminism, and definitions of femininity. And the idea of the modern Black woman raising the White woman's family, taking care of her home, child and eventually her husband? The possibilities were endless for rich character development and thoughtful situations. But ultimately, the delivery left much to be desired for me at least.
***SPOILER AHEAD***
The first 75% of the book belabored the minutiae of Zora's days as a nanny, her relationship with other nannies and with a man she never quite seemed to fully connect with, and then in the last 25% there was an accelerated romance with the man of the house and a mutual conviction that they could not live without each other. The idea of that happening was entirely plausible, but the depth of the relationship was told to the reader rather than shown to us. I also never felt I 'knew' Zora, the main character as much as I knew Kate, the woman whose child she was taking care of. I liked the book, but wanted so much more.
***SPOILER AHEAD***
The first 75% of the book belabored the minutiae of Zora's days as a nanny, her relationship with other nannies and with a man she never quite seemed to fully connect with, and then in the last 25% there was an accelerated romance with the man of the house and a mutual conviction that they could not live without each other. The idea of that happening was entirely plausible, but the depth of the relationship was told to the reader rather than shown to us. I also never felt I 'knew' Zora, the main character as much as I knew Kate, the woman whose child she was taking care of. I liked the book, but wanted so much more.
kapphill's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this book. I had a few qualms with some predictable (and cliche) turns in the plot. Yet, I think the gravity of the issues that many women and families face today (juggling work, relationships, and domestic chores) really overshadow those qualms. It would be a great novel to use for a book club - so many areas to discuss (racial and identity issues, gender issues, and concerns about the modern two-income familial situation). All in all, I highly recommend this book to folks who enjoy modern fiction!
em_reads_books's review against another edition
3.0
I read this real quick, but found it a lot more compelling than really enjoyable. It brings up about a bazillion discussion-worthy social issues, but sometimes at the expense of just allowing the story to unfold & letting the characters do what they'd naturally do.
gdigiacomo's review
adventurous
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
mochagirl's review
2.0
Reading this now -- it's the local club's September 2011 BOM pick. I'm about half way through and I'm not really engaged with the story. Will finish it tonight - don't want to spend anymore time with these characters -- want to move on to something else.
arisbookcorner's review against another edition
4.0
At first Zora sounded a little like me (or at least she had similar opportunities I have had and want to have, such as living in Europe or at least another country for awhile. We lost our connection whenever cooking was mentioned, haha) "she loved cooking, she loved traveling, and she liked kids. She liked feeling useful, and she liked being in beautiful spaces. She loved music and dancing and the taste of a foreign language rolling off her tongue. She loved reading literary fiction with multicultural characters and watching spoken-word poetry performances in intimate theaters. All of these things made her happy, but none of them fell under any job description she'd ever seen" (pg. 18). I could relate to that statement until I took a Comparative Government&Politics class and discovered I LOVE international politics so now I have a idea for a major (but of course that could change). So I was already fond of the book since I thought Zora was the embodiment of who I wanted to be. After reading the entire book I'm not so sure I would want her whole life but she gained some noteworthy experiences and while the route to her somewhat happy ending was rough, it wasn't depressing or anything. I wasn't enamored with the writing style, it didn't make me wince by being overly dramatic/too flowery but it didn't wow me with its beauty either. I was surprised at how long it took for the Brad&Zora storyline to take off and I didn't see it as a cliche since it's the first book I've ever read with a nanny/husband affair. while I was surprised by Kate and her friends, Brad was less surprising because I've met many liberal white people who can still be racially insensitive (unconsciously). He had a nice quote about love "[l]ove is such a crazy thing. Sometimes you can convince yourself it's not even real, that's just this elusive concept, yet when you fall in love, it can shake your world in ways you never dreamed possible" (pg. 319). It was bizarre to me as to why Kate disapproved so much about one of the career secrets Brad kept from her. I thought it was cute and nice that he got the chance to really follow his dreams.
I'm fairly naive when it comes to issues concerning working mothers and race relations. My mouth dropped open several times when conversations between Kate and Fiona (one of her white friends) were shared because they were so...not outrageously racist but very subtly prejudiced. I couldn't believe educated, so called 'modern' women still talked in a particular way. BUT I don't think the older generation would be that surprised. I also didn't realize mothers had such dilemmas about leaving their children with nannies. My mother has been working since I was born and I've never known anything else and I don't mind one bit. I felt a twang of sympathy for her if she agonized so much over her decision to leave my siblings and I with a babysitter. Working moms as a kid whose mom has always worked (still does), your kids will turn out fine and no they won't hold it against you (honestly I wouldn't like it if my mom was super-involved in my life, ugh). Anyway I digress, this book seems like an obvious bookclub pick because it addresses very accessible, universal issues. I really appreciated (and chuckled) over how often Zora bemoans how cliche her story is and she reiterates over and over that she wants to be more than just "Mammy". It sort of reminded me of all The Help controversy about Black women once again being regulated to "Mammy" roles/characterizations. To me she seemed to hint at the fact that there's nothing wrong with being nanny if you love being one and are treated with respect.
I'm fairly naive when it comes to issues concerning working mothers and race relations. My mouth dropped open several times when conversations between Kate and Fiona (one of her white friends) were shared because they were so...not outrageously racist but very subtly prejudiced. I couldn't believe educated, so called 'modern' women still talked in a particular way. BUT I don't think the older generation would be that surprised. I also didn't realize mothers had such dilemmas about leaving their children with nannies. My mother has been working since I was born and I've never known anything else and I don't mind one bit. I felt a twang of sympathy for her if she agonized so much over her decision to leave my siblings and I with a babysitter. Working moms as a kid whose mom has always worked (still does), your kids will turn out fine and no they won't hold it against you (honestly I wouldn't like it if my mom was super-involved in my life, ugh). Anyway I digress, this book seems like an obvious bookclub pick because it addresses very accessible, universal issues. I really appreciated (and chuckled) over how often Zora bemoans how cliche her story is and she reiterates over and over that she wants to be more than just "Mammy". It sort of reminded me of all The Help controversy about Black women once again being regulated to "Mammy" roles/characterizations. To me she seemed to hint at the fact that there's nothing wrong with being nanny if you love being one and are treated with respect.
bigbooklife's review
5.0
This is the second book that I've read based on an Essence magazine recommendation. They are two for two! As I started to read it, I could help but think of the movie The Nanny Diaries; however, as the book went on, it took a different turn. Substitute Me was a book about race, class, racial guilt, sex, and relationships. Tharps does an excellent job of familiarizing us with the characters and letting us peek into their daily lives.