The Kennedy Women: The Saga of an American Family

"A Fresh ans unvarnished portrait of 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 America’s "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 Kennedy’s insistence that his mildly retarded daughter, Rosemary, be lobotomized . . . the real story behind Joan and Ted’s whirlwind romance . . . Jackie’s desire for a divorce from JFK in the 1950s . . . Pat Lawford’s disastrous Hollywood marriage . . . how Caroline discovered her cousin David’s 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

Leamer was granted unheralded access to private Kennedy papers and he interviewed family and old friends, many of whom have never been interviewed before, for this protrait of the women in America's "royal family." This is the riveting bestseller that reveals the private lives of the women in the political dynasty, from Rose to Ethel to Jackie and beyond.

ISBN-13 : 9780449911716
Publisher : Random House Publishing Group
Publication date : 28/09/1996
Author : Laurence Leamer, Laurence Leaner

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Five generations of Kennedys are chronicled in this unauthorized biography of the women who helped shape the image of this enduring dynasty. June

Library Journal

This intimate portrait of five generations of Kennedy women is the basis for a minidocudrama airing in October.

Meet the Author

Laurence Leamer has written many bestsellers, including The Kennedy Women, The Kennedy Men, and Sons of Camelot. He lives in Washington, D.C. and Palm Beach, Florida.