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Rose Kennedy: The Life and Times of a Political Matriarch
In this definitive biography—the first to draw on an invaluable cache of newly released diaries and letters—presidential historian Barbara A. Perry unearths the complexities behind the impeccable persona Rose Kennedy showed the world. Rose Kennedy provides unequaled access to the life of a remarkable woman who witnessed a century of history and created the public image of one of America’s preeminent families.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
82 people are currently reading
1122 people want to read
About the author
Barbara A. Perry
20 books22 followersBarbara A. Perry is the Gerald L. Baliles Professor and director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, where she co-directs the Presidential Oral History Program. She has authored or edited 16 books on presidents, First Ladies, the Kennedy family, the Supreme Court, and civil rights and civil liberties. Perry has conducted more than 120 interviews for the George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama Presidential Oral History Projects; participated in the Bill Clinton interviews; directed the Edward Kennedy Oral History Project; and co-directs the Hillary Rodham Clinton Oral History Project. She served as a U.S. Supreme Court fellow and has worked for both Republican and Democratic members of the Senate.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Perry earned a PhD in government from the University of Virginia; an MA degree in politics, philosophy, and economics from Oxford University; and a BA degree in political science, with highest honors, from the University of Louisville.
Perry is a frequent media commentator for national and international news sources. She is prepared to discuss American presidents, especially FDR through Obama, with particular expertise on JFK and the Kennedy family. Perry has taught all aspects of American government/politics and can respond to media questions on most topics related to presidential campaigns and elections, public policy, and presidential communications. In addition to the American presidency (including First Ladies), her research, writing, and commentary have covered the U.S. Supreme Court, particularly presidential appointments, as well as civil rights and civil liberties.
Perry has been a commentator for such outlets as CBS, PBS, CNN, C-SPAN, MSNBC, NPR, PRI, Fox News, BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Swiss TV, HuffPost Live, The Morning Rundown, The Andrea Mitchell Report, The NewsHour, 1A, The Diane Rehm Show, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Sunday Times of London, USA Today, Bloomberg News, POLITICO, the Daily Beast, and the Associated Press. She regularly contributes to UVA’s blog, Thoughts from the Lawn.
Previously, Perry was the Carter Glass Professor of Government and founding director of the Center for Civic Renewal at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. In 1994-95, she received the Justice Tom C. Clark Award as the outstanding Supreme Court Fellow that year. In addition to providing research for Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s speeches, she briefed more than 3,000 visitors to the court from 70 different countries. She was the Senior Fellow for Civics Education at the University of Louisville’s McConnell Center in 2006-07, where she is currently a Non-Resident Fellow. From 1996 through 2008, she taught in the Supreme Court Summer Institute, co-sponsored by the Supreme Court Historical Society and Street Law. In 2012, Perry received the Virginia Social Science Association’s Scholar Award in Political Science. The Sons of the American Revolution, Virginia Society, awarded her their 2013 Silver Good Citizenship Medal for “her outstanding achievements in the study, writing, and teaching of American history.” The University of Louisville’s College of Arts and Sciences named her the 2014 Alumna Fellow of the Year.
Perry has participated in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Information Programs and lectures for the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, for which she taught a 2015 online graduate course on the Kennedy presidency and offers a teacher institute on JFK. From 2010-14, she served as an adjunct faculty member at the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, providing seminars to senior federal executives on the Kennedy presidency, the U.S. Supreme Court, and leadership.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Perry earned a PhD in government from the University of Virginia; an MA degree in politics, philosophy, and economics from Oxford University; and a BA degree in political science, with highest honors, from the University of Louisville.
Perry is a frequent media commentator for national and international news sources. She is prepared to discuss American presidents, especially FDR through Obama, with particular expertise on JFK and the Kennedy family. Perry has taught all aspects of American government/politics and can respond to media questions on most topics related to presidential campaigns and elections, public policy, and presidential communications. In addition to the American presidency (including First Ladies), her research, writing, and commentary have covered the U.S. Supreme Court, particularly presidential appointments, as well as civil rights and civil liberties.
Perry has been a commentator for such outlets as CBS, PBS, CNN, C-SPAN, MSNBC, NPR, PRI, Fox News, BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Swiss TV, HuffPost Live, The Morning Rundown, The Andrea Mitchell Report, The NewsHour, 1A, The Diane Rehm Show, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Sunday Times of London, USA Today, Bloomberg News, POLITICO, the Daily Beast, and the Associated Press. She regularly contributes to UVA’s blog, Thoughts from the Lawn.
Previously, Perry was the Carter Glass Professor of Government and founding director of the Center for Civic Renewal at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. In 1994-95, she received the Justice Tom C. Clark Award as the outstanding Supreme Court Fellow that year. In addition to providing research for Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s speeches, she briefed more than 3,000 visitors to the court from 70 different countries. She was the Senior Fellow for Civics Education at the University of Louisville’s McConnell Center in 2006-07, where she is currently a Non-Resident Fellow. From 1996 through 2008, she taught in the Supreme Court Summer Institute, co-sponsored by the Supreme Court Historical Society and Street Law. In 2012, Perry received the Virginia Social Science Association’s Scholar Award in Political Science. The Sons of the American Revolution, Virginia Society, awarded her their 2013 Silver Good Citizenship Medal for “her outstanding achievements in the study, writing, and teaching of American history.” The University of Louisville’s College of Arts and Sciences named her the 2014 Alumna Fellow of the Year.
Perry has participated in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Information Programs and lectures for the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, for which she taught a 2015 online graduate course on the Kennedy presidency and offers a teacher institute on JFK. From 2010-14, she served as an adjunct faculty member at the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, providing seminars to senior federal executives on the Kennedy presidency, the U.S. Supreme Court, and leadership.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
May 25, 2020
Not long ago I read both The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy and Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter. Both I gave four stars. Yet even after reading both I felt I didn't truly understand Rose Kennedy. I simply could not understand how this woman who supposedly so loved and devoted herself wholeheartedly to her husband and nine kids chose to take long, extended trips away from them. Not just one trip but many, many such trips, over and over again. Neither did I believe that she needed a vacation because her life was so exceedingly hard - even with nine kids and a philandering husband. Clearly she did need time alone, but why? Keep in mind her kids were at boarding schools and she had servants galore. I didn't understand how she could desert her mentally disabled daughter Rosemary, after the failed lobotomy. Yeah, I know Joe insisted that this was the best for Rosemary, but the whole situation seemed actually more complicated than what was visible on the surface. Rose could have refused Joe and she didn't. Only after Joe’s death did Rose and the siblings resume contact with Rosemary. Consistently Rose fled from serious medical problems. Joe had to pick up the pieces and resolve what was to be done. This is a pattern repeated over and over again. Consistently when problems or conflicts arose she fled. In the book an interview with Rose is quoted. She summed herself up perfectly, "I would say yes, Dear, and then go to Paris."
About halfway through the book I began to understand how this family worked. Conflict avoidance was paramount. Never shed a tear, put on a smile, keep a stiff upper lip – these were the mantras. Reputation and prestige were sacrosanct. Rose did love her kids but she was cold, controlled and undemonstrative.
Blame, pointing out the guilty personage was not the issue for me. In picking up this book I sought to understand the family’s dynamics. The book did give me this, and I am glad I read it. It is best if you already know the Kennedy story, and for this you should first read The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy. Rose was the family’s core. The kids say this and you see this in how events unroll. If Rosemary is what draws your interest then read Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter. It is really, really good, but I still do not understand why Joe and Rose didn’t enroll her in another Montessori school; she did so well at just such a school in Britain!
This book on Rose follows her through to her death in 1995. The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy pretty much ends with Joe Sr.’s death in 1969. That book’s main focus is Joseph P. Kennedy, although there is a lot about Rose and the nine kids up to his death. Rose died at the gloriously old age of 104, 26 years after her husband’s death! She was involved in the lives of her children into her eighties! Producing perfect children, that was her life goal. This book on Rose skims over information about Joe and politics and history, but there is quite a bit about the kids’ lives.
I liked that this book explained why John Kennedy carried the middle name Fitzgerald, which was originally Rose’s surname before marriage. That is kind of unusual, don’t you think?! Her father had position and power; he had been mayor in Boston.
I liked that this book looked critically at Rose. It is no hagiography. In her doting old age she was certainly a handful, and there are quite a number of “teasing” quotes of conversations between her and her children. Her personality becomes clear.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Gayle Hendrix. It was good, easy to follow and clear, but nothing exceptional.
About halfway through the book I began to understand how this family worked. Conflict avoidance was paramount. Never shed a tear, put on a smile, keep a stiff upper lip – these were the mantras. Reputation and prestige were sacrosanct. Rose did love her kids but she was cold, controlled and undemonstrative.
Blame, pointing out the guilty personage was not the issue for me. In picking up this book I sought to understand the family’s dynamics. The book did give me this, and I am glad I read it. It is best if you already know the Kennedy story, and for this you should first read The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy. Rose was the family’s core. The kids say this and you see this in how events unroll. If Rosemary is what draws your interest then read Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter. It is really, really good, but I still do not understand why Joe and Rose didn’t enroll her in another Montessori school; she did so well at just such a school in Britain!
This book on Rose follows her through to her death in 1995. The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy pretty much ends with Joe Sr.’s death in 1969. That book’s main focus is Joseph P. Kennedy, although there is a lot about Rose and the nine kids up to his death. Rose died at the gloriously old age of 104, 26 years after her husband’s death! She was involved in the lives of her children into her eighties! Producing perfect children, that was her life goal. This book on Rose skims over information about Joe and politics and history, but there is quite a bit about the kids’ lives.
I liked that this book explained why John Kennedy carried the middle name Fitzgerald, which was originally Rose’s surname before marriage. That is kind of unusual, don’t you think?! Her father had position and power; he had been mayor in Boston.
I liked that this book looked critically at Rose. It is no hagiography. In her doting old age she was certainly a handful, and there are quite a number of “teasing” quotes of conversations between her and her children. Her personality becomes clear.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Gayle Hendrix. It was good, easy to follow and clear, but nothing exceptional.
July 28, 2013
This book is a ‘don’t miss’ for anyone interested in the most iconic family of the 20th century. I admit to having read just about everything written by or about the Kennedys (like the author, I also have my own “Kennedy library”) so I was a little hesitant about yet another book about Rose Kennedy. I wasn’t sure there could be new information about her, but I was very pleasantly surprised.
With 20 new boxes of official documents about Rose recently released by the real Kennedy Library, the author uses new information to add to the mythical matriarch of the Kennedy Family, and which makes her much more human and interesting. I was particularly interested in the release of her pharmaceutical records, which reveals that her life-long size 8 figure might have been caused not by self-discipline, but by what would today be called “irritable bowel syndrome,” and possibly anorexia. Her need for sleeping pills also reveals a woman who struggled with inner conflicts that she probably never really dealt with or faced.
Of all the Kennedys I’ve read about, Rose was never my favorite (Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy was the most interesting to me, as was, of course, Jack and Bobby.) However, I found myself completely engrossed in this fascinating biography, and finished a 300+ page book in 2 days.
As a follow up to this book, I would recommend “The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy” by David Nasaw. Placed side by side, this remarkable couple set out to mythicize their family and succeeded in doing just that. Yet, with all of the meticulous research in both books, only now do we see and appreciate the real price of the glory and history they craved. Both lived with life-long stomach and digestive issues, neither was truly happy, and violent death awaited too many of their standard-bearing offspring.
But, except for the British royal family (with which they hobnobbed in the late 1930’s) there is no American family more interesting, more philanthropic, and more reflective of 20th century America. They are endlessly interesting. I have no hesitation giving this book a full 5 stars.
With 20 new boxes of official documents about Rose recently released by the real Kennedy Library, the author uses new information to add to the mythical matriarch of the Kennedy Family, and which makes her much more human and interesting. I was particularly interested in the release of her pharmaceutical records, which reveals that her life-long size 8 figure might have been caused not by self-discipline, but by what would today be called “irritable bowel syndrome,” and possibly anorexia. Her need for sleeping pills also reveals a woman who struggled with inner conflicts that she probably never really dealt with or faced.
Of all the Kennedys I’ve read about, Rose was never my favorite (Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy was the most interesting to me, as was, of course, Jack and Bobby.) However, I found myself completely engrossed in this fascinating biography, and finished a 300+ page book in 2 days.
As a follow up to this book, I would recommend “The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy” by David Nasaw. Placed side by side, this remarkable couple set out to mythicize their family and succeeded in doing just that. Yet, with all of the meticulous research in both books, only now do we see and appreciate the real price of the glory and history they craved. Both lived with life-long stomach and digestive issues, neither was truly happy, and violent death awaited too many of their standard-bearing offspring.
But, except for the British royal family (with which they hobnobbed in the late 1930’s) there is no American family more interesting, more philanthropic, and more reflective of 20th century America. They are endlessly interesting. I have no hesitation giving this book a full 5 stars.
November 25, 2018
This biography read like an ambitious term paper trying for a maximum word count. Perry piles excerpt upon excerpt from diaries, letters and articles, all making the same point. The same information about Rose Kennedy is repeated and repeated, that she ate like a bird because she had a delicate tummy, that she insisted on order and punctuality from her family, that she was extremely concerned with how she appeared in the public eye, etc. Her personality was flattened by attributing every action and reaction, every attitude and behavior to her devout Catholic faith. I read this book because it is the pick for my in-person book group. When I read the biography of a person who I don’t know much about, I am hoping for insight, to be persuaded that this person’s story is significant. But this did not happen. Rose Kennedy came across as a micromanaging society woman whose only claim to fame was her relationships to wealthy and powerful men.
November 12, 2015
Perry whitewashes Rose of her prejudices and narrow-mindedness. She's clearly too enamored of her subject, a hazard for any biographer. She does admit that Rose was a helicopter parent, and was a nagging critic of her children (and children-in-law. I have no doubt the Kennedys loved their mother, but did they LIKE her????
When John Kennedy was in the infirmary for a month while a student at Choate, Rose did not visit him, even when his illness could not be identified. This is relegated to a footnote.
For those not raised in southern New England, Rose could have had the family chauffeur drop her off at the train station in Boston and headed south to Wallingford, Connecticut on the NY-New Haven (now called AMTRAK)and been picked up at the station, returning the same day, had she wished.
Perry uses the excuse of the other children in the household, totally ignoring the fact that several were already in boarding schools and that Joe and Rose began their married life with a cook, chauffeur, and maid even before they even had their first child. Once the children arrived, there were baby nurses and later, governesses. Rose certainly did not raise her children alone.
If you want to know what Rose packed on her trips and what medications she took at various stages of her life, then this is the book for you.
If you want a more robust look at Rose and the Kennedy family, try The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys by Doris Kearns Goodwin, a book on which Perry relies on heavily in her early chapters.
When John Kennedy was in the infirmary for a month while a student at Choate, Rose did not visit him, even when his illness could not be identified. This is relegated to a footnote.
For those not raised in southern New England, Rose could have had the family chauffeur drop her off at the train station in Boston and headed south to Wallingford, Connecticut on the NY-New Haven (now called AMTRAK)and been picked up at the station, returning the same day, had she wished.
Perry uses the excuse of the other children in the household, totally ignoring the fact that several were already in boarding schools and that Joe and Rose began their married life with a cook, chauffeur, and maid even before they even had their first child. Once the children arrived, there were baby nurses and later, governesses. Rose certainly did not raise her children alone.
If you want to know what Rose packed on her trips and what medications she took at various stages of her life, then this is the book for you.
If you want a more robust look at Rose and the Kennedy family, try The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys by Doris Kearns Goodwin, a book on which Perry relies on heavily in her early chapters.
November 17, 2013
Had to read this since I had read an excellent but appalling biography of Joe. Wasn't a big fan of Rose when I started. I was even less when I finished. Part of it might be the times but given her personality and her devotion to Catholic doctrine, I think she'd be the same today. I kept thinking of her as a trainer rather than a mother.
February 20, 2025
3.5 - was sort of boring. So much on the mundane, but I guess that really is the life of a socialite. I had trouble keeping attention by halfway through because it seemed like the same old and I was already familiar with the Kennedy history so I didn’t really learn anything new from Rose’s sanitised diary entries. It’s a good general history of the family, but just nothing really new that you can’t learn from another book.
August 5, 2013
I actually rather liked this. My first foray into reading about the Kennedy clan (as an adult) had to be about Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. I've had both the Jackie and Teddy biographies lying about for a while, but decided to start with the matriarch.
I realize that it is very different what we prefer in biographies, but for me, this was a good read. It did go into the details around things, though not to the nitty gritty on everything. Also, it didn't spend ages looking at what the individual Kennedys were doing; the children and husband were almost only mentioned as they pertained to Rose and her reactions to their antics.
But apart from that, with this method of doing it, it also means that when I read the next Kennedy biography, I won't have heard everything before.
At the same time, it was rather neutral, not painting anyone with an overly rosy picture - not even Rose.
I could have done without the emphasis on all her traveling, though, as at one point it just got to be enough to read about even if she did do all the traveling.
I feel I got a good read through of the book, and it whet my appetite for reading more about the rest of them.
I realize that it is very different what we prefer in biographies, but for me, this was a good read. It did go into the details around things, though not to the nitty gritty on everything. Also, it didn't spend ages looking at what the individual Kennedys were doing; the children and husband were almost only mentioned as they pertained to Rose and her reactions to their antics.
But apart from that, with this method of doing it, it also means that when I read the next Kennedy biography, I won't have heard everything before.
At the same time, it was rather neutral, not painting anyone with an overly rosy picture - not even Rose.
I could have done without the emphasis on all her traveling, though, as at one point it just got to be enough to read about even if she did do all the traveling.
I feel I got a good read through of the book, and it whet my appetite for reading more about the rest of them.
Want to read
October 16, 2014I can't wait to start reading this! Rose had a wealth of contradictions. Fascinating lady. I just love reading about the Kennedys. They seem like a real life Greek tragedy.
January 20, 2021
Rose Kennedy was a woman before her time—a pretty sharp cookie when it came to political messaging and campaigning. She was blindly loyal to her children. She was an exceptionally well-traveled person who was fluent in French and German. Early in her marriage to Joseph Kennedy, a skirt chaser who seemed to use her as a brood mare and showpiece for most of their married life, her parents made it clear that she was not going to get any help from them in solving her marriage woes. Her most obvious reactions were to focus on spending his money on fashion, overseas adventure, and a robust collection of sedatives. She left decisions about family medical issues to her husband in what seems to be another passive aggressive reaction to his dominance—one that backfired most obviously when he decided on his own to lobotomize their developmentally disabled daughter. She absented herself from the home as much as possible after bearing her ninth child, as much a novel birth control method as a way to slake her wanderlust. Mrs. Kennedy was a meticulous planner, a control freak, devoutly religious, a fitness buff and a lover of the limelight. She blossomed when called upon to participate in political campaigns and when she traveled. The book makes one think that she sublimated her anxieties and fears by taking drugs, looking the other way, exercising, sticking to rigid schedules for daily life, and insisting on solitude in times of stress. The book was well-researched but not particularly well written. Its ending is wholly unsatisfying—an abrupt shift from detailed narrative to a broad-brush account of the fates of Rose and her remaining children (only Jean was alive at the time the book was published).
July 11, 2022
I have had this book on my to-read’s for 5+ years and I mostly chose to read it just to get it over with. I thought I’d get a glimpse into the life of a privileged Catholic - and there’s a lot of content on those themes - but I was surprised to learn about what a powerful political asset and campaigner Rose Kennedy was. Granted I don’t know a lot about presidential mothers, but she forged a vital role for herself and her family that persists to this day. Not only did she mold the Kennedy family’s image and myth, but also the campaign work she did was essential to the family success. Her spending habits and her world traveling were a little indulgent and over the top, but it’s kind of interesting to consider the choices that people can make when they grow up in, and marry into, extreme privilege. It’s also amazing to consider the management of homes, and household and secretarial staff that she undertook. I actually really enjoyed learning about Rose’s life, and Barbara Perry did a diligent and thorough job in the archives to get this biography and all of its nuance on paper. My one gripe is how Perry chose to describe the unfortunate Rosemary Kennedy - using the R-word throughout the book instead of (what I believed were) the more accepted terms like mentally handicapped or neurodivergent. It’s surprising that Perry used this word in a book published in 2013.
February 6, 2022
This book was a refreshing change to the usual books about the Kennedy's.it shows rose in a very good light told with an impartial view of the subject.how an earth rose didn't crumble under the strain of all the losses in her life and a husband who was less than faithful.she did manage to get from under the yolk of male domination,with only one blemish when teddy nixed his mother going on a talk show.every family especially large ones are proned to misfortune,but this one had more than its fair share some brought on by themselves others thrust on them.it also deals with the subject of rosemary Kennedy quite candidly,and even owning up to the fact Joe made a wrong call.a fair book and good read.
February 28, 2025
A decent look at the life of the matriarch of perhaps the most famous American political dynasty. Rose Kennedy led a very interesting life, and it's all here for us to read about. I found the book to be well-balanced. It didn't outright criticize Rose for her faults, but it presents information in a way that lets you know she had them. I've read reviews that said this book was very one-sided. I didn't find that at all.
For me, the most interesting part of the book had to do with Rose's tenure in London as the ambassador's wife. Her later years were pretty much glossed over in a handful of pages. It felt like the author was in a rush to wrap up the book.
A good biography of an interesting subject.
For me, the most interesting part of the book had to do with Rose's tenure in London as the ambassador's wife. Her later years were pretty much glossed over in a handful of pages. It felt like the author was in a rush to wrap up the book.
A good biography of an interesting subject.
March 9, 2018
I've been reading about the Kennedys since the early 1970s, but always about the men until recently when I read Jean Kennedy Smith's autobiography. That sparked an interest in Rose. This biography didn't disappoint! Covering the 104 years that Rose's lifetime spanned is a monumental task, but Barbara Perry does it extremely well. Avoiding the temptation to concentrate on the famous men in her life, Perry concentrates on Rose. Of course she speaks of the men who influenced Rose and upon whom Rose had influence, but the central figure in the book is always Rose. I came away admiring a most amazing woman!
April 28, 2025
Roses love seemed very conditional. If you were thin, married to a catholic, and not suffering from ailments you were loved. This book glossed over the things that a normal mother wouldn’t do. Abandon a daughter because of mental illness and disown another for loving a Protestant, , and constantly on them about their weight.
July 19, 2025
Growing up in Massachusetts, the Kennedys were our royal family. While I lived through the tragedies, I had no idea how much power and persuasion Rose held in the lives of her children. I also had no idea how truly cushy her lifestyle was either. This is a great portrait of a strong woman who led a full, unique life.
April 3, 2019
This book was a bit jaded but did give some fascinating history on the Kennedy family. Interesting but you need to keep in mind that there is a lot that is presented a little rosier than historical fact tells.
August 6, 2022
Rose Kennedy is one of my least favorite celebrities. However the author tries to justify her decisions for her children as an early 1900s matriarch, she’s still a New England villain who hated any of her children’s imperfections. Did not make me a fan of this political royal family.
February 5, 2019
I know that Rose Kennedy is often spoken of in terms of her relationship to her husband and sons. I just wished a biography would focus more on her as a person and no as much on those relationships.
August 25, 2019
3.5 stars
August 31, 2019
The author of definitely did her research but at times it felt too detailed with trivial points.
May 5, 2020
It was interesting to read about the matriarch. It made me understand her family more.
August 3, 2020
If you like stories about people’s lives this is a good one.
Read
December 23, 2022A wonderful biography of Rose Kennedy comprised of elements of many other biographies as well as new information.
May 7, 2024
[5 Aug 2017] An interesting and informative read
July 7, 2017
This book was weirdly silent on Rosemary Kennedy's traumatic birth and buys into the general narrative re her level of disability.
And it's possible that Rose Kennedy was generally unknowable, but we certainly don't get a real sense of her interior life.
And it's possible that Rose Kennedy was generally unknowable, but we certainly don't get a real sense of her interior life.
December 31, 2013
I have to admit that I have zero interest in the subject of Rose Kennedy and truly do not understand the fascination with this family. The reason I picked this book up off the shelf at the library is because of the author, Barbara Perry. As an undergraduate at the University of Louisville, my advisor raved about Ms. Perry and suggested that I follow in her footsteps to the University of Virginia to study under Henry Abraham. While I did go to graduate school there, I'm no Barbara Perry and have no illusions that I could ever have measured up to her ability and scholarship (nor did I!).
Often when you read books by academics that are written for the mass market, they are really dry and hard to wade through. I wasn't sure what to expect as the only other book I had read was one about the 5th Amendment which she-co-authored. What a pleasant surprise to find that the author tailored this work so that a general audience can enjoy it. There are plenty of endnotes for academics to delve more deeply into the subject matter too.
While there wasn't much new ground that I learned from this book, one anecdote that I did not know was that Charles deGaulle had a daughter with Down Syndrome. His quote about her death "Now she is just like the others" really struck home with me.
For those who know little about Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, there is plenty of "meat" here. Once she disappeared from public life, the last chapter or so is quite sparse compared to earlier ones in the book. Granted, the subject wasn't doing much outside her home for the last decade of her life.
A final note is that those from the special needs community might take offense at the use throughout the book of the term "retarded". That was how the intellectually disabled were referred to when Rosemary Kennedy was alive and I believe it was an intentional choice of the author's to use that term in the book.
Often when you read books by academics that are written for the mass market, they are really dry and hard to wade through. I wasn't sure what to expect as the only other book I had read was one about the 5th Amendment which she-co-authored. What a pleasant surprise to find that the author tailored this work so that a general audience can enjoy it. There are plenty of endnotes for academics to delve more deeply into the subject matter too.
While there wasn't much new ground that I learned from this book, one anecdote that I did not know was that Charles deGaulle had a daughter with Down Syndrome. His quote about her death "Now she is just like the others" really struck home with me.
For those who know little about Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, there is plenty of "meat" here. Once she disappeared from public life, the last chapter or so is quite sparse compared to earlier ones in the book. Granted, the subject wasn't doing much outside her home for the last decade of her life.
A final note is that those from the special needs community might take offense at the use throughout the book of the term "retarded". That was how the intellectually disabled were referred to when Rosemary Kennedy was alive and I believe it was an intentional choice of the author's to use that term in the book.
November 22, 2013
Barbara A. Perry did a great job on this biography of Rose Kennedy, Rose Kennedy the Life and Times of a Political Matriarch. I have read many books about the Kennedys and thought I knew everything about them. But I read much in this book that I did not know. I was particularly interested in the deaths of Joe Jr. and Kathleen and the medical problems of Rosemary.
I did enjoy that much of the communication was done through letters. (Of course, this was the 40's through the 80's). Some of the letters were recorded here. They were beautiful correspondence. The letter Rose received from Clara St. John, the wife of the headmaster at Choate, when Joe Jr. died was a model sympathy letter.
I did read all of this book. Of course, we all admired Rose Kennedy because she had to survive the ultimate-the murder of two of her sons. What she said after the death of President Kennedy was particularly poignant to me: "My reaction to grief is a certain kind of nervous action. I just keep moving, walking, pulling away at things, praying to myself while I move, and making up my mind that it is not going to get me. I am not going to be licked by tragedy, as life is a challenge, and we must carry on and work for the living as well as mourn for the dead," wrote Rose after Jack's death.
I did enjoy that much of the communication was done through letters. (Of course, this was the 40's through the 80's). Some of the letters were recorded here. They were beautiful correspondence. The letter Rose received from Clara St. John, the wife of the headmaster at Choate, when Joe Jr. died was a model sympathy letter.
I did read all of this book. Of course, we all admired Rose Kennedy because she had to survive the ultimate-the murder of two of her sons. What she said after the death of President Kennedy was particularly poignant to me: "My reaction to grief is a certain kind of nervous action. I just keep moving, walking, pulling away at things, praying to myself while I move, and making up my mind that it is not going to get me. I am not going to be licked by tragedy, as life is a challenge, and we must carry on and work for the living as well as mourn for the dead," wrote Rose after Jack's death.
May 16, 2014
An excellent book to understanding Rose Kennedy. I never understood why she didn't leave her husband because of all his philandering, but this book talked about the times she lived, and her religion--being Catholic, she couldn't get divorced. I didn't realize how separate the Catholics were and how the Protestants would not let the Catholics into their organizations, etc. Her father didn't want her to marry Joseph Kennedy, and sent her and her sister away to a convent in Paris, to try and discourage the union. They didn't marry until Rose was in her mid 20's. For having 9 children, Rose kept a slim figure and she was also a fashion plate of her time, by going to Paris and London every year for the latest fashions. She traveled to Europe 13 times in the 1930's. Most of the time she would travel with her sister, or some of her daughters, or niece, while her husband would take care of business at home. She spent winters in Palm Beach, and summers either in Bronxville, NY or Hyannis Port, MA, when she wasn't traveling. I really enjoyed this book.
March 11, 2016
When the camera rolled and Griffin asked what sustained her through incomprehensible tragedy, she replied that God "has given us, as I say, triumphs as well as ordeals. We've had great ecstatic moments, and we've had these tragedies, but the ecstasies or the triumphs are greater than the tragedies."
Rose led a hard & complicated life and I felt like I needed to know more about her complex personality, I found nothing unique about her although Barbara Perry tried her best and did good job portraying Rose's life. The problem was ROSE herself. She was underwhelming, critical (of her children and everybody else) and gives the impression that she was very emotionless and thought-less. I wasn't really a fan of hers when I started and I certainly still not after I finished.
Regardless of my thoughts on Rose, this biography is a vital read for anyone interested in the Kennedy family. Barbara presented a few new information and the whole thing is really good.
Rose led a hard & complicated life and I felt like I needed to know more about her complex personality, I found nothing unique about her although Barbara Perry tried her best and did good job portraying Rose's life. The problem was ROSE herself. She was underwhelming, critical (of her children and everybody else) and gives the impression that she was very emotionless and thought-less. I wasn't really a fan of hers when I started and I certainly still not after I finished.
Regardless of my thoughts on Rose, this biography is a vital read for anyone interested in the Kennedy family. Barbara presented a few new information and the whole thing is really good.
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September 4, 2015Stream of Consciousness Style Detracts
I've never claimed to appreciate the stream of consciousness style of writing, and this book only affirms my dislike of that style. The author's straying from the subject of the book comes across as a college student's freshman essay, where words are added to the assignment comes to the desired length. The author's description of Catholic dogma is not only incorrect in most instances, but one more stray yarn that detracts from the tale.
Rose Kennedy is presented as an American Edwardian princess, her father's pet, her husband's trophy, her children's icon. I have not read the authorized bio on her,e but if it is anything like this one, it glosses over any character flaws St. Rose may have had.
All in all, I found this a very disappointing read.
I've never claimed to appreciate the stream of consciousness style of writing, and this book only affirms my dislike of that style. The author's straying from the subject of the book comes across as a college student's freshman essay, where words are added to the assignment comes to the desired length. The author's description of Catholic dogma is not only incorrect in most instances, but one more stray yarn that detracts from the tale.
Rose Kennedy is presented as an American Edwardian princess, her father's pet, her husband's trophy, her children's icon. I have not read the authorized bio on her,e but if it is anything like this one, it glosses over any character flaws St. Rose may have had.
All in all, I found this a very disappointing read.
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