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Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter
Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter | Kate Clifford Larson
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
review
Jadams89
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Pickpick

So sad, and so moving at the same time. Rosemary struggled to find her place in her competitive family and was often kept from the public eye. And the decision to have a lobotomy performed on her and then hiding that fact 😡 But the strides that were made for folks with intellectual disabilities due to her struggles are inspiring.

35 likes2 stack adds
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ShaniaAJ
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Pickpick

I don‘t usually read books of this type, but now this one has me considering to try out some more! I loved this book and how the Kennedy‘s changed the way the world views things in such an impactful way!🤍

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ShaniaAJ
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone!🍁🦃🍂
Enjoying my current audiobook while I get to cooking!

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JenlovesJT47
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Pickpick

This has been on my TBR since it came out — I have always been fascinated by the Kennedys. I was happy to stumble across this on Audible Plus. Rosemary‘s story will infuriate you. The question I keep asking myself is why couldn‘t they just accept her as she was? I would recommend this to anyone interested in the Kennedys or learning more about how disabilities were dealt with back in the day. It will break your heart. 4⭐️

#Biography
#Audiobook

SamAnne Such a sad and infuriating story. 4y
51 likes1 stack add1 comment
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LatrelWhite
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Wow only on page 2 and it reads like headlines today. #spanishflu #covid19

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LatrelWhite
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Trying out my new Kindle to see if it‘s a keeper. I‘ve always had a Nook but the color screen is now slowing me down.😄 This is my first paper white so I have to the end of the month to see if it works out. What are your thoughts about the Kindle??🤔

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I have a kindle fire and I like it, but rarely use it 🤷🏼‍♀️ 4y
kezzlou85 I love my paperwhite, I take it everywhere. 4y
LatrelWhite @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks that how my nook is now but still I‘m purchasing books!😊 4y
LatrelWhite @kezzlou85 I use to love my nooks like that I‘ve had 3 but I‘ve went to more audiobooks and physical books because I still have many on my bookshelf. My nook has the kindle app so still buying books and loading free books sooooo...looking for a better way the read without that glare on the screen.☺️ 4y
kezzlou85 @LatrelWhite that makes sense. I find when out my kindle is handy because I see the screen better. I do love a physical book in my hands though. My kindle just fits in my bag better 4y
11 likes1 stack add5 comments
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GinaKButler
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Currently reading my #bookspin pick! The inner workings of the Kennedy‘s are very interesting...and it‘s a little surprising that they are still so beloved by the public.

TheAromaofBooks I have to say that I love her hat. It seems a shame that hats aren't “in“ any more haha 4y
GinaKButler @TheAromaofBooks I agree...she is just lovely. This book was completely heartbreaking, but I‘m glad I finally pulled it off my bookshelf. Thank you so much for hosting #bookspin ! 4y
6 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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GinaKButler
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Yay! My #bookspin and #doublespin picks for February! Thanks so much for hosting, @TheAromaofBooks 😘📚

TheAromaofBooks Oh, these look so fun! Can't wait to hear your thoughts! 4y
8 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Claireromama
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Pickpick

A truly devastating read. You see a part of the Kennedy family that hasn‘t been explored before and your heart will break for Rosemary and so many other souls who were destroyed by lobotomies.

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mrg81
Pickpick

Really interesting account of Rosemary Kennedy's life, and how the family handled her intellectual disabilities.

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mrg81
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Continuing my journey into my Audible backlog.

Ericalambbrown Welcome to Litsy! 📚❤️😊 One of the books I‘m reading has a section in lobotomy and touches on her story. So terribly sad and unnecessary. 5y
5 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Amiable
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Mehso-so

Using Rose Kennedy‘s diaries and correspondence, school and doctors' letters, and family interviews, this biography brings Rosemary Kennedy‘s life out into the open. Spoiler alert: Joe and Rose Kennedy do not come off looking very good in this. It was interesting, but there was a lot of stuff I already knew from reading other books about the Kennedy family.

61 likes2 stack adds
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EmilyChristine
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Pippin is reading Rosemary with my dad. My dad had nothing to read so he‘s borrowing a book I just bought. One benefit of having a bookaholic for a daughter.

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goodbyefrancie
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Beautiful #audiowalk this evening. It may seem weird, but the cemetery is my favorite place to walk. So peaceful.

kellyann28 I love cemeteries! 6y
Amanda.T I love to walk around cemeteries too. 6y
goodbyefrancie @kellyann28 @Amanda.T I'm glad it's not just me. 6y
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MaleficentBookDragon I walk around cemeteries too. They ate very peaceful. 6y
KathyWheeler Oh I love to walk in cemeteries! When I used to run, my daily run was through a cemetery. 6y
NatalieR I love cemeteries too! I grew up near one so my mom and I took walks there often. I loved the history. 6y
113 likes6 comments
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ShannonOffDuty
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Pickpick

Really fascinating story. Pretty short book but very illuminating on how society used to view the mentally challenged. We've come a long way (to say the least)

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Dilyndesign
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Just picked up a "new book" from one of our new Tiny Libraries?. This one is outside our Public Library...closed on Saturday afternoons! Jackpot...I hope?

DebinHawaii Welcome to Litsy!! 🎉📚👍Hope you are enjoying it here! 6y
TK-421 Welcome to Litsy! 😊 6y
25 likes3 comments
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B00kLady
Mehso-so

Rosemary Kennedy was developmentally delayed. Born at a time when these things were little understood and carried great stigma, her life spanned huge strides in the understanding of childhood development and special needs. What I gleaned from this book is how much of the current understanding of mental disabilities and disorders and protection of those who suffer is due to the experience of her politically powerful family.

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Reecaspieces
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#nonfiction2017. This was one of my challenges this year. One nonfiction a month. I actually had more than this. But these were some of the top ones.

LauraBeth I need to read more non-fiction books that aren‘t memoirs. Maybe I‘ll try and do this for 2018 😀 6y
MayJasper Good for you 6y
Reecaspieces @LauraBeth there is a #nonfiction2018! So HIT IT!! 6y
97 likes4 comments
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JenReadsAlot
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Pickpick

Such a good book. A look into Rosemary and what happened to her before and after the lobotomy. Sad. Very interesting as well since I live in Wisconsin where she spent most of her adult life at St. Colleta's not far from me.

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OneLitChick
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Latest from the library!
#CurrentlyReading

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TelevisionNeighbor
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I currently live in a town pop. 1000. Went to the library for the first time and set up accounts for me and my son. They have so much good stuff! I usually go to the library in a larger town, but I'm excited to use my local one more often. #librarylove #libraryhaul

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stacybmartin
Pickpick

This book sheds a light on the history of Rosemary Kennedy, the 'hidden' Kennedy daughter. It makes me incredibly sad that her dad forces her into a lobotomy, and then after it goes horribly wrong, her family practically abandons her for years in an institution with no visits.

ReadingSusan That book was soooo sad. 7y
Suet624 Ugh. 7y
48 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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stacybmartin
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Today's #labsoundtrack for hours of DNA extractions and quantification.

CouronneDhiver This is a good one! Enjoy 7y
drbethandherkindle Can you at least automate your extractions? Having an extraction robot is LIFE CHANGING 7y
stacybmartin @drbethandherkindle I work for a very small, private forensic lab and we don't have good stuff like robots lol. Everything is pretty much manual. 🤦🏼‍♀️ 7y
drbethandherkindle Dang, that is awful. 7y
47 likes5 comments
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BookNerd1975
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This might be one of the saddest reads . . . just heartbreaking.

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MorganNotMegan
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Pickpick

Wow. This book was not what I expected. It opens with the role of Rosemary's mother in society and how every man in her life (her father and husband)'s needs came before her own, even the choice of not going to college so she could help her father run for mayor. That's the world Rosemary was born into, slightly damaged by her forceful birth. Deals with mental illness, gender roles, family identity, and so so so much more. 💜📚💜

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M-D
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Pickpick

This was an insightful book on a person that was long forgotten about. It kinda made me mad about what kind of things that she had to go through in her life.

Did this one on audiobook

3.75⭐️'s

CouronneDhiver I liked this one too but was unpleasantly surprised at her fate. 7y
M-D @CouronneDhiver me too, I hadn't heard too much about her before I listened to this. Very tragic. 7y
37 likes2 comments
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BethwithBooks
Mehso-so

A really interest look at mental handicaps and high society in the early 20th century but the book itself was repetitive and took a while to actually get to the parts about Rosemary - it was a little all over the place.

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Lidia
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#ReadJanuary #TitleswithProperNames These 2 were the only 2 I could find with this theme. I haven't read Rosemary yet, it was a gift from my Secret Santa goes postal ☺️

Reviewsbylola I definitely want to read Rosemary. Mrs Poe is a good read. 7y
Lidia @Reviewsbylola I did enjoyed Mrs. Poe very much. 7y
27 likes1 stack add2 comments
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ibeeeg
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Pickpick

Such a good book. My eyes were opened to many details about the Kennedys that I was unaware. My eyes were opened even more to how poorly the U.S. treated individuals with disabilities. They were shamed as were their families. They were shoved aside, neglected and abused. The U.S. still has a long way to go, but I am incredibly thankful that we have not remained stuck in the same way of thinking as was the case during the years of Rosemary's life.

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triplem80
Mehso-so

I chose this to fulfill the biography requirement for the #2016ReadHarderChallenge. I actually didn't know much about the Kennedy family, and certainly nothing about Rosemary, so I was intrigued.

Lots of interesting information in this one... unfortunately, it was very dry. Considering the subject matter, I would have thought it could have elicited a stronger emotional connection, but it fell short.

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Bookwm85forever
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I was reading Escape from Asylum which opened up a discussion about the horrendous procedure called the lobotomy. My daughter told me about Rosemary Kennedy and her "treatment." I had to pick up this book and learn more because I couldn't get her off my mind.

10 likes3 stack adds
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MeJeMiller
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Pickpick

I listened to this one while sick. I think it was interesting. Lots of information but what else would there be right?

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Lidia
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It's finally the 21st on the West Coast and I'm up 'cause I just got back from doing our last Xmas shopping. So I just had to open my #SecretSantaGoesPostal #WinterSolsticeBookExchange presents! Thank you so much for both books, you have great taste! I wanted to buy the Rosemary biography for some months now but I hadn't and A monster Calls was also on my TBR list. However you didn't give me your name so I don't know who to thank 🤔

Lidia @BookishMarginalia please help! I want to know who is my Secret Santa 🎅🏼 7y
Joanne1 A monster calls is so good. Get the tissues ready though. 7y
LeahBergen Oh, nice!!!! ❤ 7y
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SaturnDoo I read Rosemary and enjoyed it☺ Nice gifts!!! 7y
AdaChivers It was me!!!!! Did you really like them??? I was so nervous!!!! 7y
Lidia @AdaChivers Yes I did! I can't believe you got me Rosemary! I saw it at a bookstore and it caught my eye but I didn't buy it at the time ☺️. Thanks a lot! 😄 7y
AdaChivers I looked at your Stack and chose books I read (a monster calls) and that I wanted to read 😉 7y
AdaChivers But if I were you, I would keep stalking the mailman 😝 7y
BookishMarginalia 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 7y
46 likes9 comments
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Loretta
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Mehso-so

Read this on & off over 2 months. Very well researched but not particularly well written. Despite the tragic figure at its heart, this book failed to elicit strong emotions. Still, I'm glad to have read it.

Also, the "different times" defense notwithstanding, I can't help but feel that both Joe and Rose Kennedy were monstrous parents. Highlighted text is just one demonstration of Rose's belief that her daughter had no value. ??

⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️

Reviewsbylola Such a tragic story. 😢 7y
19 likes1 comment
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nrheckel
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Panpan

This one was really disappointing because it is such an interesting story, and I came into it knowing nothing about Rosemary, so it should have been so good but somehow it was really boring??
It felt so impersonal, I came out with no impression of who she was as a person, more like a list of facts. And I understand the thought behind talking so much about the other Kennedys, but it wasn't framed in a way that made sense to the story.
😕😕😕

Reviewsbylola What a disappointment. I would love to read about her so hopefully there are better options out there! 7y
rubyslippersreads Disappointing, because it's on my TBR list. 🙁 7y
DebinHawaii Bummer! I saw this one and wondered about it because her story is so interesting and there are only bits and pieces in most Kennedy books. 😐 7y
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nrheckel @Reviewsbylola I looked the book up on Amazon and it had a bunch of suggestions for other books about her but I feel like I need a break before I try to figure out which one looks best! 7y
nrheckel @rubyslippersreads I think a lot of people really enjoyed it and there's really interesting information in it so it might still be worth a read! I generally really prefer autobiographies because they're more personal so it could be just a preference thing (but I've never been bored by the Kennedys before!) 7y
nrheckel @DebinHawaii I know! I wasn't aware of her at all so I was super excited about this one so it was super disappointing! 7y
19 likes6 comments
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Betty
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"Joe Sr., if not other members of the family, felt Rosemary's behavior had now become a menacing disgrace to the Kennedys' political, financial, and social aspirations." Ergo, a lobotomy. #disabilities #nonfictionNovember #photoadayNov16

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Betty
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Horrified to read of Rosemary's birth. If the doctor missed the birth, "he could not charge the extremely high fee of $125 for prenatal care and delivery. When holding Rose's legs together failed to keep the baby from coming, the nurse .... holding the baby's head and forcing it back into the birth canal for two excruciating hours." #catsoflitsy

Simona I was shocked too 😲 7y
Suzze Yikes! 7y
M-D I was horrified at this 😡 7y
8 likes3 comments
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nrheckel

I'm so restless and uneasy, I've started so many books and just can't concentrate at all. I know a lot of you guys are feeling the same way so even though I haven't been posting I'm so thankful to see that I'm not alone❤

DebinHawaii You are definitely not alone. I can't seem to settle in to read or sleep either one. Hang in there. ❤️👍 7y
nrheckel @DebinHawaii thank you so much, you too❤❤ 7y
LeahBergen ❤️❤️ from Canada 7y
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Lucylovesreading I loved this book, great pic! 7y
Suet624 It's taking me forever to finish a book that is witty and quite enjoyable. My attention span is zilch. Still numb with an occasional burst of anger. (That's my weather report for today.) 7y
nrheckel @LeahBergen ❤❤to you too! 7y
nrheckel @Suet624 exactly! I have barely stated books laying all over my house- I've tried so many genres and it feels impossible! 7y
27 likes7 comments
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Leelee08
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Taking a small break from studying to color and listen to an audiobook....#audiocoloring 🖌🖍💜💙💚❤️

Cinfhen Do u use colored pencils? I'm having a hard time finding a brand I like 7y
Leelee08 @Cinfhen I'm not a colored pencil-person, so I use fine tipped markers. Rose Art or Crayola. 😊 7y
BookishMarginalia That's one of my favorite coloring books! 👍🏼 7y
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Cinfhen Thanks, maybe I'll try markers🙂 7y
Faibka Ah so relaxing! 😄 7y
Leelee08 @Faibka It truly is! 7y
AmandaL That coloring page is awesome! 7y
Leelee08 @AmandaL This particular book is folk art so it's so cool! 7y
81 likes9 comments
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Simona
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An interesting insight into family dynamics and the relationship of the individual members with the Rosemary. The story is disturbing, upsetting and sad. Happy, healthy girl with learning disabilities becomes a family shame. Is decision for lobotomy consequence of the Zeitgeist or is it consequence of Joe's vanity? I am aware of the attitude towards people with disabilities in the past...but a lobotomy?

#funfridayphoto with @Liberty

EnidBiteEm 😢 7y
64 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Lucylovesreading
Pickpick

Such a sad story from a time when no one knew better. Such a parallel to how my parents grew up in boarding schools for the blind, quite interesting in that sense.

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murflegirl
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"Did Joe tell his daughter she was going to have a surgery? Did she ask him questions about it, and did he answer them truthfully? Did he convince her that it was her decision but that he wanted her to do it?... Did he tell her that her behavior had disappointed him, and that her mother and sisters and brothers were concerned and frightened by her? What did she think? We can only imagine."

Heartbreaking.

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murflegirl
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So intrigued by this topic and can't wait to dive in. Still no power in the Outer Banks.

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ABookGeek
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Pickpick

A good book, but so sad and rather upsetting at times.

11 likes1 stack add
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WellReadCatLady
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Donnasmiles How is it? I've always been an avid reader of anything Kennedy. 8y
[DELETED] 2232195534 I've heard good reviews of this one. 8y
MrBook I listened to an interview Larson gave, and she made this book sound so intriguing! 8y
13 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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WellReadCatLady

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BibliophileBytheSea
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Pickpick

Growing up in MA, I've long been fascinated by the Kennedy clan, a family with so much power and wealth but, one that has experienced so much misfortune. Rosemary's story is beautiful but heartbreaking. She was born with developmental disabilities and, seen as somewhat of an embarrassment to the prominent parents. At 23 Joe arranges for a radical lobotomy in hopes of improving his daughter's mental acuity, but, it goes horribly. WOW⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Notafraidofwords I read this in a few sittings. I couldn't stop reading it. I felt so bad for her. The description of her lobotomy terrorized me. 8y
[DELETED] 2232195534 I have this one on audio but haven't listened to it yet. Scary but so interesting! 8y
shawnmooney I enjoyed it too. You probably already knew about the newer biography of her sister, 8y
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BibliophileBytheSea @shawnmooney thank u as I wasn't aware of the new bio! On the list it goes. 8y
BibliophileBytheSea @Notafraidofwords Glad u enjoyed this as well. I agree, imagine being awake for that procedure! 8y
BibliophileBytheSea @kaysreadinglife -definitely move the audio up in priority, really great! 8y
readingonarainyday I didn't know about Rosemary but now that I Googled her, I feel so bad for her. Such a terrible thing to happen. I will look for this book. 8y
BibliophileBytheSea @readingonarainyday definitely insightful, so we'll done. 8y
32 likes4 stack adds8 comments
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Denisereads75
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Pickpick

A sad and disturbing biography of the mentally handicapped 'forgotten' sister of President Kennedy.

4 likes1 stack add
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Librarian
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Pickpick

If anyone ever wants a book in the horror genre, I might have to recommend this one. It is a compelling read, and it made me extremely grateful for my loving parents who see me as I am, not who they want me to be.

shawnmooney I read and very much enjoyed it late last year. And one of the most interesting characters aside from Rosemary herself was her rebellious sister Kick. I have the new bio of her on my list now. 8y
shawnmooney Ha! Actually two biographies of Kick Kennedy came out in 2016. This is the one I heard about. 8y
Librarian Thanks, @shawnmooney. I put it on my to read list. 8y
See All 9 Comments
Librarian Both of them! 8y
Jess_Read_This Well said. I haven't mustered about the nerve to read this one. Just knowing the surface details saddened me so much... 8y
Librarian @jess_read_this I was afraid that l wouldn't be able to read it all the way through, but the author did a good job presenting Rosemary, her family, and historical context. I do still want to cry and say WTF, though. 8y
bookishkai @Librarian @Jess_Read_This if you're on a Kennedy reading binge, I can't recommend hard enough Patrick Kennedy's book. It's a view from the second generation (he is Ted Kennedy's son), and he skillfully addresses the way all the traumas in the family have affected them all. 8y
Librarian @bookishkris Thanks! I added it to my list. 8y
Jess_Read_This @Librarian I think I will feel the same when I do read this one. That poor girl. @bookishkris Thanks for the recommendation! Adding it to my stack! 8y
19 likes3 stack adds9 comments
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BookswithB
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Pickpick

Finished this audiobook today. Endearing, but truly heartbreaking. I have a feeling this one will stick with me a while.

8 likes2 stack adds