When Stephanie Kiser moves to New York City after college to pursue a career in writing, she quickly learns that her entry-level salary won't cover the high cost of living—never mind her crushing student loan debt. But there is one in-demand job that pays more than enough to allow Stephanie to stay in the city: nannying for the 1%. Desperate to escape the poverty of her own childhood, Stephanie falls into a job that hijacks her life for the next seven years: a glorified personal assistant to toddlers on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

At first, nannying seems like the perfect solution—the high pay covers Stephanie's bills, and she's surprised by how attached she becomes to the kids she cares for, even as she gasps over Prada baby onesies and preschools that cost more than her college tuition. But the grueling twelve-hour days leave her little time to see her friends, date, or pursue any creative projects that might lead to a more prestigious career. The allure of the seemingly-glamorous job begins to dull as Stephanie comes to understand more about what really happens behind the closed doors of million-dollar Park Avenue apartments—and that money doesn't guarantee happiness. Soon she will have to decide whether to stay with the children she's grown to love, or if there's something better out there just beyond her reach.

 

美國上流家庭的生活是什麼樣子？
為什麼有錢人都生三胎？
耶魯畢業的富家女為什麼選擇當全職媽媽？
每小時一萬六千元的親子課程在上什麼？
──問他們的保母就知道！

★房慧真、鄧九雲 誠摯推薦

出身底層的25歲保母，在美國上流階級看見的教養與生活實況
　
史蒂芬妮的父母用微薄薪水窮養四個孩子，她從小被評估為「發展落後」，卻努力成為家族第一個上大學的人。沒想到，畢業後竟墜入學貸地獄──利率4.5％，月還款3萬5，錢都拿去繳利息，本金幾乎沒減少。

窮途末路的她，只好展開從未想過的職涯：幫紐約上東區富豪家庭帶小孩，擔任富N代幼兒的「私人特助」。每週實領3萬8千元現金，依照不同家庭的工作狀況，年薪上看240到480萬台幣。

這份薪水看似解決了生活困境，幾年下來，她也對富豪家任性難搞的孩子們產生了感情──然而，長達12小時的工時讓她幾乎沒有餘力經營真正的人生，更別提曾經有過的寫作夢……

金錢能買到的東西、階級的現實、僱主家的精緻教養，都不斷刺痛著童年充滿陰影的史蒂芬妮。她也同時看見，即使是有錢人家裡高學歷、高成就的媽媽，也和普通家庭的媽媽一樣，面對著過多的要求、失衡的親職分工。這一切讓她陷入了迷惘──擁有金錢，就等於擁有幸福嗎？她應該繼續待在僱主家，還是放棄這份高收入，勇敢為自己的夢想去闖一闖？

這本書寫出了對頂層社會的貼身窺奇、打破貧窮複製的激勵過程、對母職和階級的深刻思考，絕對令人難忘！

★★★
在美國，從某些事情就能看出一個人是富到流油還是窮到吃土。在我老家，後院停了數十輛車的家庭絕對是窮到爆，那些車大多是破車，滿懷著希望撿回來，看看還有沒有零件或引擎能重新利用。但在東漢普頓，車道停滿車的人家一定有錢到爆，而有錢指數排行榜的榜首還不是車子，而是比車子更昂貴的──小孩。

在上東區，養三個小孩是身分地位的象徵，彷彿在向全世界宣告：這家人不僅生活在全美國最貴的地段，而且生活得輕鬆自在。這裡的房價動輒破億，學費一年三百多萬，這些家庭不僅住得起，還有閒錢供養子女。這些爸媽大多拖到很晚才生小孩，先拚學歷、拚經歷，再買房子、四處遊歷。上東區的貴婦如果有第三胎，沒有人會問為什麼：反正她想生三個，而且也養得起三個。

——中文簡介摘自我在億萬豪宅當保母出版《先覺》