Synopses & Reviews
New and completely updated edition!
Hilarious and addictive, this chronicle of a small-town girl's stint as a celebrity nanny reveals what really happens in the diaper trenches of Hollywood.
When Oregon native Suzanne Hansen becomes a live-in nanny to the children of Hollywood über-agent Michael Ovitz, she thinks she's found the job of her dreams. But Hansen's behind-the-scenes access soon gets her much more than she bargained for: working twenty-four hours a day, juggling the shifting demands of the Hollywood elite, and struggling to comprehend wealth unimaginable to most Americans, not to mention dealing with the expected tantrums and the unexpected tense and intense atmosphere in the house where she lives with her employers.
When the thankless drudgery takes its toll and Hansen finally quits, her boss threatens to blackball her from ever nannying in Hollywood again. Discouraged but determined, Hansen manages to land gigs with Debra Winger and then Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman. Attentive, welcoming parents with a relaxed attitude toward celebrity looks like Hansen's fallen into a real-life happy ending. But the round-the-clock workdays continue, rubbing some of the glitter off L.A. living, and Hansen's not sure how much longer she can pretend to be Mary Poppins. Even bosses who treat her like family can't help as she struggles to find meaning in her work while living in a town that seems to lack respect for nannies and everyone else who comes in the employee's entrance but without whom many showbiz households would grind to a halt.
Peppering her own journey with true stories and high drama experienced by other nannies to the stars, Hansen offers an intriguing, entertaining mix of tales from the cribs of the rich and famous. You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again is a treat for everyone who is fascinated by the skewed priorities of Tinseltown, for anyone who has wondered how high-wattage supermoms do it all, and for readers who love peeking behind the curtains of celebrity, all of whom will devour this unparalleled and unabashedly true account of one girl's tour of duty as Hollywood's hired help.
Review
"Filled with juicy little tidbits that will be enjoyed by anyone who loves to read about the bad behavior...of the rich and famous." Los Angeles Times
Review
"Hansen throws in an occasional dollop of self-criticism....But such asides are mere formalities in You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again, as bitter and nasty and finally unsatisfying a revenge narrative as has ever been penned." The Washington Post
Review
"[A] story that Hansen tells with real comic energy, sparing no unlibelous detail." Boston Globe
Review
"Hansen was a competent child-care provider, an unrepentant snoop, and a star-fucker extraordinaire, and she has produced a trash book of fearsome quality....The emotional heart of the book is meant to be the cruelty and derision Hansen suffered at the Ovitzes' hands, but on the evidence she presents, they hardly seem like monsters, either as parents or employers." Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic Monthly (read the entire Atlantic Monthly review)
Synopsis
An insider's look at some of Hollywood's power couples from a nanny's point of view.
Synopsis
Hansen once worked as a 'round-the-clock, jack-of-all-trades nanny for Michael Ovitz, then finally quit for happier homes. Here's a diaper's-eye view of Hollywood celebrity.
About the Author
Suzanne Hansen has been a high-risk labor and delivery nurse, lactation consultant, and childbirth educator. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two children.