JFK JR: An Intimate Oral Biography" By Rosemarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil

In November of 1963, while my mother was pregnant with me, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. My mom was apparently crying so hard my dad had to yell at her to calm down for fear she would miscarry. She did calm down and I was born without incident. Flash forward to July of 1999, I was staying at my parent's house, along with my 4-year-old twins. I walked into the breakfast nook to see my parents' eyes glued to a small television sitting next to their cereal bowls. The screen showed the U.S. Coast Guard, commissioned by President Bill Clinton, frantically searching for JFK Jr.'s plane. As the cameras panned over the water, the three of us shared a look of sadness that another Kennedy had been lost. "JFK Jr." by Rosemarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil is an oral history of President Kenney's son, as well as the family and friendships that framed his short life. Make no mistake about it, there is new information in this book that makes it riveting. Terenzio, JFK JR.'s former personal assistant, and McNeil comb his life from his early years in the White House as a young child through his launch of "George" magazine and marriage to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. There are stories about his time spent with Aristotle Onassis and his children. There are details from his high school dating, as well as passion for dangerous sports. And there are insights into the family dynamics, including a tense relationship with his sister Caroline's husband, Ed Schlossberg. I listened to this book on audio, and it took 15 hours. But those were 15 wonderful hours spent because during that time John, Carolyn and her sister Lauren were still gloriously alive, full of hope, talent, charm and beauty. I didn't want the story to end, but sadly it came to a tragic end that July night in 1999, when their plane came down into the water. A well-researched, poignant read about political royalty. To buy this book on Amazon click here.