Stephanie Kiser's debut memoir, Wanted: Toddler's Personal Assistant, chronicles her experience as a nanny for the wealthy, wanting, and whining. Kiser skillfully contrasts stories from her own childhood, which was closer to poverty than Park Avenue, with her work as a nanny for overprivileged children in New York City. A first-generation college student, Kiser graduated with a degree, a dream of writing TV shows, and student loan debt higher than "the total of two brand new BMWs," but when she was unable to make ends meet on an entry-level salary, she was forced to change plans: "Being a nanny was the last job I wanted, but necessity outweighed pride, and so here I am."
Kiser's amusing anecdotes about the quickly outgrown designer clothes, refined palates, and extravagant birthday parties of the children she works for enhance her commentary on the intersections of economic status and child care. Among her poignant observations of parents who give their children too much or too little, Kiser pinpoints how struggles with gender inequality and mental health resonate within all households, regardless of income. Privy to differing economic situations, Kiser also celebrates the unmatched strength of hardworking mothers and nannies.
The journey Kiser presents in Wanted demonstrates the impact of perseverance and healthy boundaries. As she helps toddlers through their growing pains, Kiser also works through growing pains of her own, including job uncertainty, college debt, and the search for her place in the world. Kiser's lively sense of humor allows her to use those growing pains to find her way through adulthood. Wanted is a powerful portrait of one woman's personal and professional success. --Clara Newton, freelance reviewer