1. What are you currently reading? Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Lawson. Joe and Rose Kennedy's third child and first daughter was an American tragedy. Early on, her parents were aware that Rosie was "different." She was clumsy and a slow learner. Her parents tried everything from prayer to tutors to special schools. Nothing worked. In 1941, her father unilaterally decided on a drastic remedy and, at the age of 23, she suffered a botched lobotomy. The tragedy of Rosemary inspired Eunice Kennedy Shriver's tireless efforts on behalf of the learning disabled and The Special Olympics.
That's the basic outline of the story, and pretty much as far as Kennedy lore takes us. We know very little about Rosemary the person. What was she like as a girl, before the surgery? How was she different after the operation? What was Rosie's impact on John, Robert and Ted Kennedy (and, therefore, our country)? This book sensitively endeavors to answer those questions.
2. What did you recently finish reading? The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer. Though it's written in a hip and cynical style, this is a fairy tale at heart. The Wife of a Producer suddenly, unexpectedly finds herself left behind. Over a summer she rebuilds her life with the help of good friends, a rent-free, luxury Malibu beach house, and a sexy stranger named Sam. And yes, she lives happily ever after.
This is entertaining Hollywood chicklit, nothing more. One of the more interesting things about it was unintentional. Written in 2007, it's already hopelessly dated. Much is made of our heroine's villainous husband's pretentious dependence on his cell phone. In 2017, when many households don't even have landlines anymore, America communicates on mobile. Also, when our heroine wants to know something about her well-heeled Malibu neighbors, she whispers questions to the guard in the gated community. Today she'd just log on and check Google.
3. What will you read next? It will be time for a mystery.
Rosemary sounds really interesting! I really don't know much about the Kennedy's, so of course I haven't heard of her, but it sounds like she had quite a fascinating story.
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