''Lullaby'' (; published as ''The Perfect Nanny'' in the United States) is a 2016 novel by French author

Leïla Slimani Leïla Slimani (born 3 October 1981) is a Franco-Moroccan writer and journalist. She is also a French diplomat in her capacity as the personal representative of the French president Emmanuel Macron to the ''Organisation internationale de la Fran ...

Plot

The book deals with the murder of two children by their nanny. It was inspired by the real-life 2012 murder of children by their nanny in New York.

Background

''Lullaby'' is Slimani's second novel and the first to be translated into English. By January 2018 it had been translated into 18 languages, with intentions for a further 17. Originally titled ''Chanson douce'', it was translated as ''Lullaby'' for the UK and ''The Perfect Nanny'' in the US. It sold 600,000 copies in France in its first year of publication.

Publication history

* 240 pages. * 224 pages. * 240 pages.

Critical reception

''Lullaby'' was described by

Aida Edemariam Aida Edemariam is an Ethiopian-Canadian journalist based in the UK, who has worked in New York, Toronto and London. She was formerly deputy review and books editor of the Canadian ''National Post'', and is now a senior feature writer and editor a ...

(writing in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'') as "stylishly written ..brilliantly executed". It was compared to '' Gone Girl'' by both

Celia Walden Celia Pughe-Morgan (née Walden; born 8 December 1975) is a French-born British journalist, novelist, and critic. Career Walden is a feature writer and former gossip columnist. She was the last editor of ''The Daily Telegraph's'' now defunct dia ...

of ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...

'' and Lucy Scholes of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'', with the latter describing it as "a psychological thriller that will have readers on the edge of their seats". The novel won the 2016

Prix Goncourt The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward o ...

, a top French literary award.

Film adaptation

In 2019, a film adaptation, of the same name in certain countries and entitled ''Perfect Nanny'' in some others, was made by director

Lucie Borleteau Lucie is the French and Czech form of the female name Lucia. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Lucie Ahl, British tennis player * Lucie Arnaz, American actress * Lucie Aubrac, member of the French Resistance * Lucie Balthazar ...

, starring Karin Viard,

Leïla Bekhti Yasmine Leïla Bekhti (born 6 March 1984) is a French film and television actress. She is best known for her roles in ''Tout ce qui brille'' (2007) and, in 2006, ''Paris, je t'aime'' and ''Sheitan (film), Sheitan''. Early life Bekhti was born in ...

and

Antoine Reinartz Antoine Reinartz (; born 1985) is a French actor. Theater Selected filmography References External links * 1985 births Living people French male film actors {{France-actor-stub ...

References

{{reflist 2016 French novels Éditions Gallimard books Prix Goncourt winning works Novels set in Paris French crime novels Novels about child abuse Novels about child care occupations French novels adapted into films