Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story
by
C. David Heymann Quote:
From Publishers Weekly
Pulitzer-nominated biographer Heymann delivers a gawk-worthy beach read with this fascinating look at Jackie and the Kennedy clan in the aftermath of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Life for JFK and Jackie was less than perfect; one story finds him cheating on Jackie during their 1953 Acapulco honeymoon, leaving the new Mrs. Kennedy "by herself on the verandah." Still, Jackie's devastation was real; afterward, her love for his brother Bobby was equally genuine. Unable to find peace (her Georgetown home had become a stop for all D.C. tour buses), Bobby gladly volunteered to play surrogate father to her kids; before long, an affair began. According to Truman Capote, it was "perhaps the most normal relationship either one ever had." It was not necessarily simple, however; both saw a number of people while together. Promiscuity aside, the Kennedys were also notoriously "chintzy" in their personal lives-they didn't tip and employed undocumented workers at home- though Jackie fares marginally better. It's anyone's guess how the affair would have ended if Bobby hadn't been killed; just four months later, she married Aristotle Onassis. Heymann's research is top notch, with plentiful attributions, making this train-wreck love story a substantial guilty pleasure and a sizzling reminder of how the rich are different.
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I grew up in the early 60s when everyone thought the Kennedy's were saints. JFK was a hero for PT109, and then his farce of a book. Joe Jr. (maybe the only honest one) died in a plane crash. We were quick to ignore Teddy letting his girlfriend die in his Delta 88 -- but prayed for him when he had a plane crash. I stood by the tracks in Metuchen, NJ waiting for RFK's funeral train to pass by on its trip from NY to DC.
Later we started to find out what scumbags they were.
This book was great. Once you start reading -- you won't be able to put it down. JFK, RFK, Jackie, and even Ethel were such scumbags -- that they made Teddy look like a freaking saint. This book was well researched by an author who specialized in researching Jackie -- and most information was obtained by freedom of information and interviews of those in the know. Facts are properly noted in the rear of the book -- to leave not doubt that this was a fair and honest biography.
This is one of the few political books that both husband and wife will enjoy reading. You don't have to be into politics -- just have an interest in the Kennedys.
I strongly suggest you order it now -- and take the time to read it. I read it on a cruise -- but I read a book a week relaxing in the evening in the hot tub.
Bobby and Jackie, C. David Heymann, Book - Barnes & Noble