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Love, Nina

Despatches from Family Life

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Love, Nina

By: Nina Stibbe
Narrated by: Nina Stibbe
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WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS POPULAR NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2014

A laugh-out-loud true story of the trials and tribulations of being a live-in nanny in 1980s London and inspired a major TV series starring Helena Bonham Carter.

*****

In 1982 Nina Stibbe, a 20-year-old from Leicester, moved to London to work as a nanny for a very particular family. It was a perfect match: Nina had no idea how to cook, look after children or who the weirdos were who called round. And the family, busy discussing such arcane subjects as how to swear in German or the merits (or otherwise) of turkey mince, were delighted by her lack of skills.

Love, Nina is the collection of letters she wrote home gloriously describing her 'domestic' life, the unpredictable houseguests and the cat everyone loved to hate.

*****

'I adored this book and could quote from it forever' Nick Hornby

'Funny and sharp: no book this year has made me laugh more' John Lanchester, Guardian

'The funniest book I've read in ages' Sunday Times

'An unassuming comic genius' Independent

 Letters & Correspondence Literary History & Criticism Memoirs, Diaries & Correspondence Funny Feel-Good Heartfelt Witty England
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Critic reviews

I loved this book. What a beady eye she has for domestic life, and how deliciously fresh and funny she is - a real discovery. (Deborah Moggach, author of 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel')
The funniest new writer to arrive in years (Andrew O'Hagan)
Breezy, sophisticated, hilarious, rude and aching with sweetness: Love, Nina might be the most charming book I've ever read (Maria Semple, author of 'Where’d You Go, Bernadette')
Adrian Mole meets Mary Poppins mashed up in literary north London . . . Enormous fun
All stars
Most relevant
This is one of those books that I did not want to end. I want to buy it for all of my friends and would happily listen to it all over again. I feel bereft now I no longer have Nina Stibbe and the cast of characters from Gloucester Crescent in my life. These letters written to her sister Vic over a 5 year period in the 1980s are written and narrated in a very understated but incredibly heartwarming and funny style. Nina writes perfectly about the minutiae of daily domestic life and portrays the characters who live on or pass through Gloucester Crescent in a warm, funny, but never unkind way. I felt as though I were listening to letters from a friend. I loved the literary references which again, were so understated and Nina never becomes starstruck by any of the famous people she meets from the arts and literary world.
An absolute joy!

A heartwarming and hilarious listen

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I loved this book. Nina's innocence and lack of any pretension in the auspicious literary company in which she daily finds herself makes for a beautifully dry, hilarious style. Listened to it again straight away. Very highly recommended.

Haven't laughed so much for years...

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I enjoyed this book. When I bought it i was not sure what to expect but I liked nina's voice so decided to try it. I am glad I did because it had many amusing moments but at the same time seemed very normal. I felt that it was like a friend telling me incidents in her everyday life.

Love Nina

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Funny, charming, warm and affectionate. This is a wonderful book, made even more so by the fact it is is narrated by the author.

Loved this book

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Such a lovely find.

Nina's original letters home to her sister, from her new job child-minding a couple of boys in London.

I read an article, where Nina Stibbe said that when it came to publishing her letters her editor was cross with her, because she had tried to "nice-if-y" some of the letters to show herself up in a better light. Nina was NOT allowed to change them!

Thank goodness that the letters were not changed, as the honesty of Nina's writing is enchanting.

A real breath of fresh air - and a a lot of giggles too!

Delightful - fresh and very, very honest!

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