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Love, Nina

Despatches from Family Life
3.66 goodreads logo

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( 8,229 ratings, 1,010 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe is a warm and humorous memoir composed of letters written by Nina during her time as a nanny in the 1980s for a quirky literary family in London. The letters capture her experiences and observations about the eccentric household, providing a delightful glimpse into her adventures and the vibrant characters she encounters.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate humorous and heartwarming memoirs that offer a glimpse into the quirky dynamics of a family's daily life. The author's witty observations and charming correspondence provide an entertaining peek into living in 1980s London, making it a delightful read for those who love stories filled with character, warmth, and laughter.

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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.

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.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'How deliciously fresh and funny she is - a real discovery' Deborah Moggach

Being a nanny is great. Not like a job really, just like living in someone else's life. Today before breakfast Sam had to empty the dishwasher and Will had to feed the cat.

Sam- I hate emptying the dishwasher.
MK- We all do, that's why we take turns.
Will- I hate the cat.
MK- We all do, that's why we take turns.

In the 1980s, Nina Stibbe wrote letters home to her sister in Leicester describing her trials and triumphs as a nanny to a London family. There's a cat nobody likes, a visiting dog called Ted Hughes (Ted for short) and suppertime visits from a local playwright. Not to mention the two boys, their favourite football teams, and rude words, a very broad-minded mother and assorted nice chairs.

From the mystery of the unpaid milk bill and the avoidance of nuclear war to mealtime discussions on pie filler, the greats of English literature, swearing in German and sexually transmitted diseases, Love, Nina is a wonderful celebration of bad food, good company and the relative merits of Thomas Hardy and Enid Blyton.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe is widely praised for its humour, warmth, and sharp observational wit. Critics find it delightfully funny, life-affirming, and filled with rich character sketches through the lens of Stibbe's letters home. The book is often compared to the works of Adrian Mole and offers a charming snapshot of 1980s London domestic life, with many reviewers lauding Stibbe's talent for capturing dialogue and day-to-day scenarios.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241965092

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 February 2014

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 245g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Nina Stibbe was born in Leicester. She is the author of two works of non-fiction - Love, Nina and An Almost Perfect Christmas - and three previous novels- Man at the Helm, Paradise Lodge, and Reasons to be Cheerful, which is the only novel to have won both the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction and the Comedy Women in Print Award. Love, Nina won Non-Fiction Book of the Year and was adapted by Nick Hornby into a BBC TV series. Nina Stibbe lives in Cornwall.

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