52 pages 1 hour read

Leïla Slimani

The Perfect Nanny

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2016

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EpilogueChapter Summaries & Analyses

Epilogue Summary

The book’s final chapter takes place after Adam and Mila have been killed. It’s been three months since the murder. This chapter is told from the perspective of Captain Nina Dorval, the police officer investigating the murders: “Nina Dorval plunged her hands into Louise’s rotting soul. She wanted to know everything about her” (226). There is no doubt that Louise killed Adam and Mila. Captain Dorval has spoken to everyone she could find who knew Louise, from Wafa to Rose Grinberg to Louise’s landlord. However, she still doesn’t fully understand why Louise killed Adam and Mila. The next day, she plans to recreate the day of the murder, to metaphorically step into Louise’s shoes as she reimagines the afternoon’s events. She still doesn’t know the answer to the big why and, it’s hinted, she never will.

Epilogue Analysis

The Epilogue is told from a new perspective, that of Captain Nina Dorval. Captain Dorval has put together many of the puzzle pieces revealed by the book’s omniscient narrator, talking to everyone from Rose Grinberg to Wafa to Louise’s landlord. However, she still doesn’t understand that there is no single reason for Louise’s actions.