The Governess

"The Governess" by Julie M. Lippmann is a story about a feisty young girl named Nan Cutler, and the clash she experiences with her new governess, Miss Blake, who arrives to bring order to her wild ways. The book looks at growing up, wanting to be free, and the battle between being told what to do and doing what you want. We meet Nan, a spirited fourteen-year-old, dealing with the consequences of an accident involving a younger child. As Nan faces the anger of the child’s mother and the arrival of a governess to live in her house, we see her headstrong personality and how much she dislikes being controlled. We see Nan's feelings as she deals with her relationships, especially with Delia, her caretaker, who is torn between loyalty and duty which leads to arguments waiting to happen as the governess steps into Nan’s messy world.