First published 2008
C. David Heymann examines the lives of John and Caroline Kennedy from their White House childhoods through their adult years. The #1 New York Times bestselling author conducted extensive personal interviews to create this dual biography of America's most scrutinized siblings. Heymann traces their journey from their early years as presidential children making headlines with every gesture to the aftermath of their father's assassination. He explores their complicated relationship with Jackie Kennedy, documenting her emotional struggles, romantic involvements, and financial worries after JFK's death. The book uncovers previously unknown details including an assassination attempt on Jackie before John's birth, JFK Jr.'s relationships before his marriage to Carolyn Bessette, and autopsy findings from the plane crash that killed John, Carolyn, and Lauren Bessette. Heymann also chronicles Caroline's transformation into one of America's wealthiest women and her role as guardian of the Kennedy legacy. Drawing on his experience as a Kennedy family biographer, Heymann challenges common assumptions about these two figures who lived their entire lives under intense media attention.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, american, biography-memoir, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: White House
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
608 pages · Paperback · Atria Books