She May Not Leave

by Fay Weldon

Overview

Fay Weldon lets her incisive wit loose on a hot issue facing many modern families — child care, and what can happen when that involves having a nanny under your roof.

Hattie and Martyn are the proud parents of newborn Kitty; both are in their early thirties, smart, handsome, and, for reasons of liberal principle, not married but partnered. All seems fine at first — healthy baby, happy couple — but when they have to decide who'll look after little Kitty, things get complicated. Hattie's dying to get back to work but Martyn fears employing foreign help might hurt his leftist political aspirations. Martyn capitulates when Agnieska arrives — a Polish nanny who happens to be both domestic goddess and first-rate belly dancer, the maker of a mean cup of cocoa who's also educated in early childhood development. Having her in the house makes life livable again for the young couple, so when problems arise with her immigration papers Martyn and Hattie will do anything to keep her in the country. But will their decision to have Martyn marry her be the trouble-free solution they envision?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780007389643
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/30/2011
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishers
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	375 KB

About the Author

Fay Weldon was born and raised in New Zealand. Her novels and short stories best-sell around the world and wherever they go are awarded great critical acclaim. Her film and TV work wins enthusiastic viewers by the million, worldwide.

Fay Weldon (1931 – 2023) overcame hard times and odd jobs as a lone parent, before becoming one of the top advertising copywriters of her generation. She moved into TV drama (writing the pilot episode of the iconic series Upstairs, Downstairs in 1971) then turned to novels – including the Booker-shortlisted Praxis (1978) and the feminist classic The Life and Loves of a She-Devil (1983). Fay was a Professor of Writing at Bath Spa University and was made a CBE for services to literature.

Editorial Reviews

A British doyenne of elegantly savage modern comedies of manners returns to form with a cautionary tale of childcare. Weldon (Mantrapped, 2004, etc.), with some 24 novels and numerous nonfiction works and short-story collections to her name, has a justified reputation as one of the most acerbic judges of human and gender frailty. In this latest mixture of family saga and morality fable, Hattie and Martyn, a couple of 30-something unmarried London yuppies, bear the brunt of her scrutiny, representatives of the comfy, left-leaning middle classes who claim to live by their principles but only, it turns out, when it suits their needs. After the birth of their first child puts financial pressure on the household, they decide to employ a married, Polish au pair, Agnieszka, whose arrival restores marvelous order to the domestic chaos: Hattie can go back to work; the couple's sex life can resume; and all manner of other compensations follow, which help the pair swallow their repugnance at employing what is in effect a servant. But Agnieszka is not quite what she seems-neither Polish, nor married. The story is narrated by Hattie's grandmother, Frances, who interleaves the Agnieszka episodes with anecdotes from the larger family. References to the mitochondrial line recur, as Weldon, taking the long view, expands her theme of genealogical descent via the female side. Too many characters are invoked here, but Weldon's domestic observations and aphorisms are nevertheless to be relished, as is the surprising conclusion. Sly, salty, savvy.

Kirkus Reviews

For a novel about the arrival and insinuation of an au pair, the title of this audiobook implies intrigue tinged with the sinister. In reality, the story dwells mostly in the ordinary struggles of contemporary life; a first-time mother moves back into the work world with the help of a “domestic genius” and must sort out her own conflicts. Rula Lenska’s narration, in her precise, accented voice, is adequate for a largely mundane story. The narrator she portrays is meant to be older, so her vocal performance--slightly hoarse and officious-sounding--seems appropriate. However, the title’s promise of an edgier story turns out to be an empty one. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

DEC 06/JAN 07 - AudioFile