Sunday, January 27, 2008

Au Pair - Rachel Spencer

Au Paris -Rachel Spencer (2006)
Rachel Spencer is a twenty something American girl working for a newspaper who decides to finish up and go to Paris to work as an au pair for a few months. This memoir first appeared as a blog, about the challenges and joys of being a nanny to three children in one of the loveliest cities in the world. Unfortunately I wasn't too impressed with it's charms.

Firstly she knew the family already, as her sister had done the same job for them a year or two earlier, so it seemed a bit of a soft option. The most annoying thing I found about Rachel, was that she went to France without making an effort to learn any French, no idea how to cook, refusing to look at maps before heading off to new addresses, and seemed to spend all of her time worrying about what to wear. I didn't find that charming - just annoying, and wondered why the parents didn't complain, since they were paying her good money to do a job?

Still it is a pleasand light weight read, however I am sure the average kiwi who has been on an OE (overseas experience) and done any nanny or au pair work could break out a hundred better stories. 2/5

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