Synopses & Reviews
"A FRESH AND UNVARNISHED PORTRAIT OF A FASCINATING, TALENTED, AND DEEPLY FLAWED FAMILY."
—Boston Herald
Laurence Leamer was granted unheralded access to private Kennedy papers, and he interviewed family and old friends, many of whom had never been interviewed before, for this incredible portrait of the women in Americas "royal family." From Bridget Murphy, the foremother who touched shore at East Boston in 1849, to the intelligent, independent Kennedy women of today, Laurence Leamer tells their unforgettable stories.
Here are the private thoughts of Kathleen, the flirtatious debutante in prewar England . . . the truth behind Joe Kennedys insistence that his mildly retarded daughter, Rosemary, be lobotomized . . . the real story behind Joan and Teds whirlwind romance . . . Jackies desire for a divorce from JFK in the 1950s . . . Pat Lawfords disastrous Hollywood marriage . . . how Caroline discovered her cousin Davids death by overdose, and more.
Tough enough to withstand the unimaginable, these Kennedy women soldier on in the name of their extraordinary family and what they believe is right.
"MASTERFUL . . . AN ENDLESSLY FASCINATING READ . . . A wealth of beautifully rendered social detail, at times reading like a realist novel by Edith Wharton . . . [A] page-turner from start to finish."
—The Dallas Morning News
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [881]-935) and index.