Charles Lindbergh was an American military officer, inventor, and aviator who made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris in 1927. Lindbergh's daring trip made him an instant celebrity, and the pilot became a world-famous hero.
Charles Lindbergh
Lindbergh's wife was Anne Morrow - of the immensely wealthy and powerful Morrow family - and the duo was dubbed 'the couple of the age.'
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
The Lindberghs' affluence and fame made them a target, and the couple's 20-month-old son Charles Jr. was kidnapped in 1932.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh with Charles Lindbergh Jr.
Ransom demands followed, and the incident - called 'the crime of the century' - was investigated by a large number of law enforcement officials.
Sadly, baby Charles' body was discovered a couple of months or so after the kidnapping, and authorities speculated that the boy was probably (accidentally) killed during the abduction.
The 'crime of the century' has been dissected, discussed, and written about ad infinitum. In this novel, author Mariah Fredericks takes a different approach, depicting the events from the viewpoint of young Charles' nanny, Betty Gow.
Betty Gow
Though the book is fiction, Fredericks did her research, and much of the story is based on real people, and actual accounts of the abduction and investigation.
*****
Scotswoman Betty Gow followed her boyfriend Rob Coutts to America, in hopes of getting married. That didn't work out and Betty got the job of nanny to Charles and Anne Lindbergh's son Charles Jr. (Charlie). The Lindberghs were raising their son to be self-sufficient and independent, and Betty was instructed not to coddle the boy. Still, the Lindberghs would be away for months at a time, and Betty formed a strong bond with Charlie, who would cling to his beloved 'Beddy.'
Charles Lindbergh Jr.
Then on March 1, 1932, Charlie was taken from his room in the Lindberghs' Hopewell, New Jersey house that was under construction. At the time the Lindberghs rarely stayed at the unfinished home, preferring to remain at the Morrow mansion in Englewood, New Jersey.
Lindbergh house in Hopewell, New Jersey
Morrow Mansion in Englewood, New Jersey
Thus the kidnapper(s) had to KNOW the family was in residence at Hopewell, and had to KNOW where Charlie slept. A ladder was used to access Charlie's bedroom - whose window shutter didn't close properly - and the child was spirited away.
The crime was immediately seen as requiring inside information, and many people came under suspicion, including the Lindberghs' and Morrows' staff: butler, chauffeurs, maids, cooks, housekeeper, handyman, gardener, and so on. Unfortunately for nanny Betty, she was the last person to see Charlie AND she discovered the toddler was missing. Thus Betty was questioned relentlessly, as was her boyfriend, Norwegian sailor Henrik Johnson.
Henrik Johnson
The police speculated that - even if the staff members were innocent - their loose lips and carelessness may have aided the kidnapper(s).
The book, narrated from Betty's point of view, explores the crime; the steps taken by investigators; the ransom demands and payments; the assistance offered by gangsters and others; the effects of the inquiries on the people interrogated; the finding of the body; and more. Betty was especially vilified by the press and public, though the Lindberghs insisted their staff was innocent. Nevertheless, the ongoing suspicion ruined many lives and Betty - who returned to Scotland - was viewed askance and never married.
In real life, German-born Bruno Richard Hauptmann was hanged for the abduction and murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr.
Bruno Richard Hauptmann
In the novel, Betty - who dearly loved little Charlie - tries to suss out who helped Hauptmann. The book names the probable suspect(s), but of course this is speculative.
It's interesting to see 'the crime of the century' from the perspective of the nanny who was so intimately involved with young Charlie. For people interested in the Lindbergh incident, this is a book well worth reading.
The audiobook is narrated by Penelope Rawlins, who does a fine job.
I should point out that some people think Hauptmann was wrongly convicted, and there's much speculation about who REALLY committed the crime. Author William Norris explores this possibility in A Talent to Deceive.
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