Review: Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky

In Bad Marie, author Marcy Dermansky presents us with a difficult to like main character, Marie. Marie has recently left prison after serving time for being an accomplice to a crime with her boyfriend and is hired by her childhood friend, Ellen, to nanny her young daughter Caitlin. Marie is not your typical nanny - she drinks and smokes while caring for her young charge and generally seems to have a pathological detachment from those around her. Amid her self-centered drive to serve her own needs, however, is a kernel of selflessness in how she cares for Caitlin - she may not relate well to adults but her unadulterated love for this child is indisputable.

Ellen and Marie have a complicated relationship - they were friends as children but while Ellen had many privileges and a normal home life, Marie's home life was tumultuous and her Mom seemed to be indifferent to her. When Marie arrives at Ellen's looking for a job post prison, Ellen feels compelled to help her and gives her a job as a nanny to her and her husband's young daughter, Caitlin. Marie bonds with Caitlin but steals from Ellen and generally has no regard for her rules. Ellen is portrayed as an uptight rule follower; needless to say, Marie is the antithesis of that. Marie does whatever makes Marie feel better whether it be drinking and then taking a bath with Caitlin or pursuing Ellen's husband. She crosses many lines including sleeping with Ellen's husband in their bed and wearing Ellen's silk robe as she seduces her husband. There is no doubt that Marie is "bad" but she is not all bad. Her relationship with Caitlin is touching and she truly cares for her. She dotes on the young girl and has difficulty leaving her every night. Whereas Marie has trouble with all the adults in her life, the unconditional love provided by Caitlin is something she cannot resist and to which she really responds. This provides a little insight into Marie and humanizes her - you wonder how disappointed she must have been throughout her life by those that were supposed to love her that she cannot trust anyone with her emotions but a child who loves unconditionally.

 My Thoughts
I found Marie fascinating - it is rare to find a character that is so uncomplicated. Marie just seems "bad" - she commits transgressions without remorse. By offering only glimpses of Marie's past, the author does not allow the reader to develop much sympathy for Marie or gain an understanding of what has brought her to commit these acts. The only kernel you receive is her love and care for Caitlin.

Although I found Marie fascinating, I couldn't relate to either Marie or Ellen. I think it would be difficult for most to relate to Marie but I found Ellen hard because I questioned some of her decisions. She knows about Marie's problems and she offers her a job on the heels of Marie's departure from prison. This is not just any job - this is the job of taking care of her child while neither Ellen nor her husband is home. I am all for giving someone a second chance but I don't think putting a child at risk in the process is unnecessary - couldn't she have started her with running a few errands, doing some light housekeeping? My comments are a little tongue in cheek but I did have a hard time understanding why Ellen would do this and was angry on behalf of her young daughter.

 Bad Marie offers a compelling character study in Marie which makes the novel very readable - it hooks you early and keeps you reading.