Madame Doubtfire

Story

After their parents’ divorce, Lydia, Christopher and Natalie must adjust to their new life – moving back and forth between their parents’ two houses. When their busy mother, Miranda, decides to hire a Nanny to take care of them during the day, their father, Daniel, comes up with a plan. He calls her, Mrs Doubtfire.

Why we chose it

Anne Fine has written a number of books for children of all ages and has won many major awards. She was the second Children’s Laureate from 2001-2003 and during her time as laureate campaigned to raise the profile of public libraries.

Madame Doubtfire, a story about family life following divorce, is one of her most popular novels.

Where it came from

Anne Fine was living in Edinburgh during the 1970s when she came across an old bric-a-brac basement store called Madame Doubtfire. The real Madame Doubtfire, the owner of the shop, died in 1979. The shop changed hands and the name was lost but Fine remembered it.

Where it went next

In 1987, Madame Doubtfire was shortlisted for three awards; the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Observer Teenage Fiction Prize and the Whitbread Children’s Book Award. In 1993, a film Mrs Doubtfire starring Robin Williams was based on the book. It is currently being adapted into a musical which was due to open on Broadway in March 2020.

Associated stories

Often writing books that deal with childhood issues, some of Anne Fine’s best-known stories include The Granny Project (1986), Goggle Eyes (1989), Step by Wicked Step (1995), The Tulip Touch (1996) and The Road of Bones (2006). She is also known for her popular six-book Killer Cat series which follows the adventures of Tuffy the cat and his owner Ellie (published between 1999 and 2014).