The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty – The Irish Immigration Story of Patrick and Bridget

by Neal Thompson

Based on genealogical breakthroughs and previously unreleased records, this is the first book to explore the inspiring story of the poor Irish refugee couple who escaped famine, created a life together in a city hostile to Irish, immigrants, and Catholics, and launched the Kennedy dynasty in America.Their Irish ancestry was a hallmark of the Kennedys' initial political profile, as JFK leveraged his working-class roots to connect with blue-collar voters. Today, we remember this iconic American family as the vanguard of wealth, power, and style rather than as the descendants of poor immigrants. Here at last, we meet the first American Kennedys, Patrick and Bridget, who arrived as many thousands of others did following the Great Famine--penniless and hungry. Less than a decade after their marriage in Boston, Patrick's sudden death left Bridget to raise their children single-handedly. Her rise from housemaid to shop owner in the face of rampant poverty and discrimination kept her family intact, allowing her only son P.J. to become a successful saloon owner and businessman. P.J. went on to become the first American Kennedy elected to public office--the first of many. Written by the grandson of an Irish immigrant couple and based on first-ever access to P.J. Kennedy's private papers, The First Kennedys is a story of sacrifice and survival, resistance and reinvention: an American story.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Politics, American History, Biography Memoir, Historical

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 22, 2022

About the author

I'm the author of Kickflip Boys: A Memoir of Freedom, Rebellion, and the Chaos of Fatherhood (May 2018). Tony Hawk called it "fun, moving, raw and relatable.” Michael Chabon said it "captures the ache, fizz, yearning and frustration of being the father of adolescent boys." Maria Semple calls it "a riveting, touching, and painful read! My stomach was in knots page after page."

I've written four other books - stories about flawed and adventurous men - and have blabbed about those on ESPN, the History Channel, PBS, C-Span, Fox, TNT, and NPR. Plus five minutes on The Daily Show.

My previous book, A CURIOUS MAN - a bio of eccentric world-traveling millionaire/playboy cartoonist Robert 'Believe It or Not' Ripley - was an Oprah.com Book of the Week, an Amazon Best of the Month, and a PEN Center USA award finalist. Ben Fountain said (on NPR): "Anyone who wants to understand America needs to read this book … Neal Thompson gives us a vivid portrait of this complex, restless man in all his maniacally conflicted glory."

Other books: Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels and the Birth of NASCAR; Light This Candle: The Life & Times of Alan Shepard, America’s First Spaceman; and Hurricane Season: A Coach, His Team, and their Triumph in the Time of Katrina.

As a journalist, I've written for Outside, Esquire, Men’s Health, Backpacker, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and more. I spent more than a decade as a newspaper reporter, including the Baltimore Sun, St. Petersburg Times, Bergen Record, Roanoke Times, and Philadelphia Inquirer. I've taught creative non-fiction at Seattle's Hugo House and at the University of North Carolina’s Great Smokies Writing Program, and served on the board of Seattle Arts & Lectures.

I'm a runner, reader, skier, stand-up paddleboarder, yogi, and a fan of brown liquor. I'm a naturalized Irish citizen, a mediocre guitar player. I'm from New Jersey.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Neal Thompson, and Mariner Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always one to eagerly explore anything related to the Kennedys, I reached for this biographical tome by Neal Thompson. Rather than rehashing much of the Kennedy drama, from Joe and Rose onwards, Thompson turns his focus on the early Kennedys who settled in Massachusetts and paved the way for future successes. Thompson’s attention to detail and great storytelling abilities left me intrigued to learn so much about the family that has become synonymous with power and political machinations.

Thompson takes the story back to its roots, the heart of Ireland. It is here that the Kennedys found their start, in a country that was battling for an identity and independent rule. While Britain was a force to be reckoned with, many Irish felt they were left to suffer and forced to cut corners just to survive. Poverty was rampant, with disease a close second, all of which left citizens to look across the ocean and dream of a better life.

Two of these Irish folk were Patrick and Bridget Kennedy, who had seen the horrors of their country and wanted something better. It was only when they were able to flee that things took a noticeable turn for the better, settling in and around Massachusetts, where many other Irish folk took up lodgings. They settled and started a family, which they hoped would allow them to show the next generation of Kennedys a better life. However, this was not quite the case right off the bat. While the Irish presence in East Boston was reasonable, control of the schools and community was still held firmly by the English, or at least groups with little desire for Irish influence. Patrick and Bridget both faced significant hardships and their children suffered at the hands of cruel educators, seeking to indoctrinate them into Protestant ways.

It was only after a family tragedy that the Kennedys saw something positive come into their lives, when Patrick John (PJ) was born. The elder Patrick died not long thereafter, forcing Bridget to raise her children as a widow and work to put food on the table. A sharp minded boy, PJ would quickly grow and found himself exploring Boston and all its facets. As Thompson explains, PJ Kennedy chose many professions as a young man, always striving to better himself, likening mirroring the life of his mother. PJ took much away from each job, making connections that would prove useful when he eventually found his calling in politics. Thompson uses the latter portion of the biography to explore how PJ Kennedy rose in the ranks of the Democratic Party in Massachusetts to become a household name. His wheeling and dealing around the stature did not go unnoticed and he was surely able to pass this passion along to his own son, Joseph, who is introduced in the last chapter of the tome.

Neal Thompson does well to explore some of the early roots of the Kennedy family, how they found themselves fleeing the horrors of Ireland while never forgetting their past. The hard work and determination that each member of the family showed helped strengths the resolve the next generation and kept the flame alive for those Kennedy heirs many have come to know so well. While Camelot and all the glory of the Kennedy name might be waning over the last few decades, there is something about this family and their roots that has always drawn me in, and likely still will as long as well-developed books are written about them.

While I know little of Neal Thompson or his past writing, I was pleasantly surprised at how well this book flowed. A great deal fo information helped shape the narrative of the piece and gave me some needed framework to better understand how grit, determination, and political acumen entered the Kennedy gene pool. Now, with this exploration of the early generation, I have a better idea. Well-paced chapters, full of information, kept me wanting to learn more and left me eager to connect the dots. Written in such a way that any Kennedy fan could read it, without needing significant backstory to piece things together, Thompson makes the journey all the more exciting. I’ll definitely have a look for more of Thompson’s writing in the coming months.

Kudos, Mr. Thompson, for a great piece that has renewed my love for all things Kennedy.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The First Kennedys is an interesting glimpse into the lives of Bridget Kennedy, an Irish immigrant, and her son, P.J. It is the amazing story of how this mother and son lay the groundwork for the Kennedy family becoming one of the most successful and legendary American political families.

The first part of the book describes the experience of Irish immigrants in general and the probable experience of Bridget during the 19th century. The author includes details about the harrowing travel conditions aboard the “coffin ships,” treacherous work conditions for immigrant laborers, and the rampant xenophobia the Irish had to face in the United States.

The second part of the book focuses on P.J.’s ascent from humble beginnings and delves extensively into his political dealings and many business ventures in Massachusetts. Additionally, the author describes P.J.’s philanthropic and charitable nature.

The First Kennedys is a fascinating American rags-to-riches story. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the topics of immigration or politics.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bridget, the original Kennedy matriarch who escaped the Irish Potato Famine and came to Boston in her early 20s as a single woman had so many challenges in her life and she overcame them with grit and determination. Like most Irish women at the time, she first worked as a maid, but instead of staying in that role, she had the initiative to became a hairdresser and then a store owner. She was only married to Patrick Kennedy briefly before he died, leaving her with four surviving children to support. Even though her own life was difficult, she helped many of her fellow immigrants and raised loving and successful children. Her son, PJ was also very admirable in his dedication to his fellow Irish as well as the community in general. JFK took more after his grandfather and great-grandmother than his father Joe, who was a different can of worms.

While this book nominally deals with the first Kennedys, as the descendant of famine survivors myself, I loved all the detailed anecdotes that shed light on what life was like for the Irish during the Potato Famine and also once they got to the US.

An absolutely fascinating read.

[CHENXI YANG · Rating 3 out of 5]

why not just call it The First Irish People in Boston? because you need the Kennedy in the title to attract readers right ? but in fact the Kennedys' story in this book is less than 50%. many of the pages are dry as wikipedia....

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a history of the Irish in Boston as not much is known about Bridget so plenty of must haves, could haves, etc. skimmed most if this to get to the historical facts.

[Peter Corrigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite growing up in an Irish Catholic family in the northeast I've never been what you call a Kennedy fan, mostly the opposite. My Mom disliked them for whatever reason and that sorta rubbed off. But as I was heading to Boston in a few weeks thought this might be of interest. And it was, albeit little thin on actual facts about JFK's great-grandparents, Bridget (Murphy) and Patrick Kennedy whose story takes up about the first half of the book. Not the fault of the author as there is apparently little actually known so he is trying hard to fill some real gaps. The early book is description of the horrors of the Great Famine in Ireland (1846-49) and the mass exodus of the population much of it to the U.S. Comparing immigrants in 1847 to today is sort of a useless exercise--the Irish were despised nearly everywhere and given nothing by the 'welcoming' populace, there were no NGOs of free credit cards. Thompson does a good job describing the horrors, on the famine ships and in the crowded disease-ridden tenements of Boston, NYC and other destinations. Patrick and Bridget arrived near the height of the famine in 1846, were married in 1849. He died quite young, 1858 (as seemingly everyone did, especially the men and of course untold numbers of children) yet his widow Bridget somehow miraculously managed to lift the family out of the dregs of poverty in East Boston. Their son, Patrick Joseph, aka P.J. was born the same year his father died and was the grandfather of JFK/RFK. Much of the second half of the book is devoted to him and his activities in Boston, laborer, politician, businessman. By all accounts he was a 'good' guy. It was interesting, but somehow less so than the earlier story. Of course his son Joseph married Rose Fitzgerald and the rest is as they say 'history'. I'd give it 3.5 stars, rounded down unless you are a 'true' Kennedy fan and then you round up!

[Barbara Hale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is non-fiction, so at times it was a little dry, and full of facts about Boston politics during the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. Because not a lot was known about the first Kennedys in America (Bridget and Patrick), the author did a lot of research about Irish immigrant life in general from newspaper stories of the time. We do know Bridget Murphy came to the US during the Irish Famine alone. She was about 19-20 years old, and she worked as a maid. We also know Patrick Kennedy came from Ireland around the same time and worked on the docks. We don't know how the two met. Patrick and Bridgett's only surviving son was Patrick Joseph, known as 'P.J.' The book focuses mainly on PJ, and his wife Mary, who were parents to Joseph Kennedy, Sr. (JFK's father).
I learned a lot about Boston during this time period, and I now look forward to visiting next month.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly well-researched read about the beginnings of the Kennedy family, starting with Patrick and Bridget. I learned so much about their struggles, successes and challenges coming to America from Ireland. At times, this read much like a history book, but I enjoyed reading about the roots of the Kennedy family from the very beginning - all of which is in very great detail. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced digital copy for an honest review.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

It certainly was full of information about life in Ireland and what people in East Boston experienced. The parts about the early Kennedys was mostly supposition. Not what I was expecting.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is the case for many others, I've long been fascinated by the Kennedy family and their triumphs and tragedies. Since I've read so many books about this family, I assumed that I knew just about everything and every possible slant that could be used to tell their story. After all, there have been hundreds of publications about the various individuals. To my delight, this well-researched narrative nonfiction explores new territory and does so with grace and empathy. Instead of looking again at John, Bobby, and Teddy or their parents Joe and Rose, author Neal Thompson has chosen to tell the story of the great-grandparents, Bridget Murphy and Patrick Kennedy, who arrived separately in Boston during the Potato Famine in their native Ireland and carved out lives for themselves. Their story of immigration and settling into a new place is a rather familiar one. They faced bigotry and judgment from others, often lived in poverty in crowded tenements, moving several times, and worked in menial labor jobs. Still, both of them dreamed of more and of better lives for their offspring. After Patrick died, Bridget had to find a way to survive even though she had four young children to rear. She persevered, returning to a job as a maid, but then becoming a hairdresser, and eventually running her own neighborhood store, paving the way for her son, P.J. to eventually own his own bars and become one of the movers and shakers in his community. Although he served terms in the Massachusetts legislature, P.J. was more interested in working behind the scenes than being in the spotlight, but it seems clear that his mother's example and influence were important to him. The book's organization makes sense with much of the focus on Bridget and the unfriendly attitude held by many Bostonians toward the Irish arriving on the nation's shores and the later emphasis on how Irish immigrants became a force to be reckoned with decades later. It's impossible to read those descriptions of how Bridget and others like her were treated and the challenges they faced without reflecting on some current attitudes toward immigrants and considering how far the Kennedy family came in just a few generations. Every word of this account has been carefully chosen, and readers will certainly feel as though they've gone back in time while immersed in the book. Even though there are no diaries or letters left behind by Bridget and Patrick or even photographs, the author's use of contemporary accounts of Boston during that time is effective in sketching out their lives.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this and other reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, then you know I read anything relating to the Kennedy family. They are a fascinating look at how an immigrant family rises to the pinnacle of success, the U.S. Presidency. It’s a story that rarely happens, and some will say it can only happen in the United States. When NetGalley, Neal Thompson, and Mariner Books provided me with a copy of The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty (Amazon), I couldn’t wait to find out more about the Kennedys who first arrived in America. All opinions given are my own.

Instead of focusing on Joe and Rose Kennedy as so many family biographies do, this goes back two generations to Joe Kennedy’s grandparents, Bridget and Patrick Kennedy, who came over from Ireland during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840’s. But because there is scant information about the two, rather we get an exhaustive look at life in both Ireland and Massachusetts during that time frame. It certainly helps paint a clearer picture of what Bridget and Patrick faced when they came to America. The discrimination against Irish was appalling, indeed against any Catholic immigrants, and the Kennedys were no exception.

Bridget faced a harder time, being a woman who had no skills other than housework and farming. But she had some family in the Boston area, and that helped. But work was hard to come by because so many Irish were coming to their shores. Soon enough Bridget got a job as a housekeeper.

Patrick Kennedy emigrated a few years later and became skilled as a barrel maker. It was a step or two above digging ditches, but there was still hardship. When Bridget and Patrick met and married, they were older than the average Irish men and women who married. And soon after, they started a family.

For ten years the family toiled and worked their butts off in menial jobs, and the family continued to grow. Then, the unthinkable happened. Patrick died, leaving Bridget to raise her children on her own. As is shown in the book, she did have some help from relations, but was largely on her own. Eventually, she scraped together the money (and was perhaps loaned some by those same family members) and bought a general goods store. It proved to be a lot of hard work, but let’s face it, everything Bridget had to do in her life was a lot of hard work. Somehow she made it work, and her young son P.J. learned a lot from her.

But P.J. was also a boy without a father and was sort of a juvenile delinquent. Somehow he straightened out enough to work on the docks and decide he was not going to spend his life doing that. With his mother’s help, he opened a saloon and proved adept at being a saloonkeeper. He also enjoyed the politicking that happened in saloons, and got involved in local elections. The Irish contingent in Boston was starting to make inroads in elected office, and P.J. was there at the beginning. While he did run for and was elected to office, for the most part he worked behind the scenes.

We’re also introduced to a young John Fitzgerald, another Irishman with a penchant for politics. He and P.J. worked together and at times at odds with one another in Massachusetts politics. It was John Fitzgerald’s daughter, Rose, who caught the eye of P.J.’s son, Joe, that continued the foray into politics with their children’s lives.

A solid entry into the Kennedy canon. If you want to more about the Kennedy family, or life for the Irish immigrants in the United States, this book is for you.

[Kristin (Always With a Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Mariner Books for the gifted copy.

As some of you might know, I am obsessed with the Kennedys and so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. There is a sentence in the Introduction that stuck with me:

Why are we still so connected to these reckless and beautiful Kennedys?

I’m not sure when or why my obsession with this family started, but I have collected and read quite a few books about this family and love nothing more than finding new sources and material to read, so when I heard this book went back to where it all started, I knew I had to read it. And I’m so glad I did because I found it so fascinating.

I love that this book brought us back to the Kennedy roots – to the ones who brought the family over to America. For as much as I have read about this family, I have not read anything about Bridget and Patrick Kennedy coming to America from Ireland. But what an inspiration Bridget was and I’m so glad I got to read her story. She certainly did not have an easy time being here – and reading about her struggles and the challenges she faced on a daily basis was just awe-inspiring.

This book was so insightful and really painted such a vivid picture of what life was like for immigrants coming to America, particularly the Irish, in the mid 1800s. I loved how the author included census information in the book because there is not a lot of research on Bridget, and he was clear to point this out. She ended up being quite a success despite the challenges she had to overcome and it’s a shame there isn’t more written about her – she really is the impetus for getting this family on the map!

You might think you’ve read all there is to know about the Kennedy clan, but I highly suggest picking this one up! It’s a very readable, engaging read about the early Kennedys and quite interesting to boot!


You can see all my reviews at: https://www.alwayswithabook.com/

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read many books through the years about the Kennedys, a family considered to be American royalty, but I have never read anything about the poor refugees who escaped the Irish potato famine in the 1840s who started it all.

Patrick Kennedy and Bridget Murphy married in Boston in 1849 after fleeing Ireland during the potato famine. They were “penniless, hungry and hopeful” when they began their life together in the late 1840s. Disease was rampant in the Irish slums of Boston and so was excessive drinking. During this time, it was very common for children not to live to age 6 and Patrick and Bridget’s first-born son, John F. Kennedy died in infancy. Patrick and Bridget later had four more children, three girls and a boy. The same year that their son P.J (Patrick Joseph Kennedy) was born, Bridget lost her 35 year-old husband Patrick to consumption (now known as tuberculosis). At 33 years old, Bridgett was left a widow with four young children to raise.

While we all think of Rose Kennedy as the matriarch of the Kennedy clan, Bridgett was the original matriarch. Bridgett was an incredible woman with drive and savvy who rose from being a maid living in squalor in a tenement to a successful businesswoman. Her son P.J rose from being a dockworker to saloon keeper to banker to a political power broker in Boston. P.J’s son, Joseph P Kennedy was JFK’s father.

This is a very interesting story of how the Kennedy dynasty began with two Irish refugees in the slums of Boston. Fascinating read.

[Kristie Kelty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. This book covers not just the history of the Kennedy family and their plight from Irish immigrants to American “royalty” but some history of Irish immigrants in general. The focus is Boston and how the arriving Irish were perceived and treated. The sentiments towards the Irish and later those from other countries certainly sounds quite familiar to the complaints and prejudices we hear in the media today regarding other ethnic groups. History sure does repeat itself. I for one will not forget my Irish and Italian roots and appreciate all people who come to the US looking for a better life.

[Susan Liston · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 The first half of this is just fascinating, about the wave of Irish immigration to the US in the first half of the 19th century, the horrors they had getting here and the horrors they faced once they were here. How Bridget Kennedy survived to become successful and raise a son, PJ, who ultimately became rich is quite incredible. Once the story shifted to him however, it became less of interest, I didn't much care about the saloon business and liquor laws or PJ's rise through the Boston political machine. But that is just me. Not the book's fault.

[Bethany · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could have been a good book, but it was so saturated with woke, anti- American rhetoric. I pushed through the whole book still and found the history of the Kennedy family traced back to Ireland interesting but the disdain the author has for American roots made it a difficult read to get through.

[Rachel Brand · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good glimpse into the experience of Irish immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries, at times it seems to romanticize being a mother as the ultimate achievement. Sometimes the writing was a bit over dramatic for me, but it is interesting that a family so well known for their mistreatment of women and girls started with a widowed woman who needed to survive in the "new world." Like all things Kennedy it's a mixed bag!

[Erika Baughn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved hearing about the first generation Kennedy’s and about the matriarch and how she built up a legacy.
Very well written.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best thing with this book was the history of the Irish immigration to Boston in the US. Starts from the famine in the 1840's up to Joseph Kennedy, JFK's father.

[Lauren Carter · Rating 1 out of 5]

More like a boring textbook of Irish history and hypothetical situations instead of actual biographical information

[Ashton Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rags-to-riches story with a focus on immigration & politics. A detailed recount & interesting read, I simply wish there were more firsthand accounts and/or details.

[Ann P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it very much, so proud of JFK’s grandmother and the other Irish immigrants, so relatable! I think it would be a great textbook!!

[Pam Parotto Seely · Rating 1 out of 5]

So boring...reads like a textbook. Not at all what I expected.

[Jeremy Anderberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kennedy ancestry has been well-covered over the years, as the Kennedy legend has grown:

_The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys by Doris Kearns Goodwin
_The Patriarch by David Nasaw
_Rose Kennedy by Barbara Perry
_The Kennedy Men by Laurence Leamer
_The Kennedy Women by Laurence Leamer

In "The First Kennedys," author Neal Thompson covers new ground: the Irish ancestry of the earliest Kennedys, primarily Bridget (JFK’s paternal great-grandmother) and PJ (JFK’s paternal grandfather).

Thompson, of Irish ancestry himself, tackles a hard subject; as he admits numerous times throughout the book, we just don’t know, with verifiable proof, all the details of these Kennedys, which leads to a lot of extrapolation based on immigrant life in Boston in the 19th century. And it works! That tactic doesn’t always pan out, but Thompson does it very well.

Bridget ended up in Boston, with absolutely nothing, because of the Irish potato famine, turning herself into an accomplished entrepreneur after being widowed in mid-life.

PJ Kennedy, her only surviving son, improved on that life (as is the hope of every parent and immigrant child), becoming a bar owner and, later, a successful local politician.

With a flair for storytelling, Neal Thompson crafted an enjoyable and incredibly readable narrative that’s not only about these Kennedys, but also about life as an Irish-Catholic immigrant in 1800s Boston — which was not an easy existence, to say the least. It’s a story I’ve not read about before, which made it especially interesting for me.

If you’re at all intrigued by the Kennedy family or the classic immigrant story of America, I don’t hesitate to recommend "The First Kennedys."

[Dennis Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished The First Kennedys:The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty by Neal Thompson, a work of non fiction that describes the origins of the Kennedy Dynasty beginning with the lives of Patrick Kennedy and Bridget Murphy, JK’s Great Grandparents from County Wexford to 1840’s Boston. Bridget Murphy was a force of nature losing a husband and several young children to the illnesses of the poor and yet succeeded in the new world. She was an entrepreneur, when it was not expected or allowed for women. My own 2x Great Grandparents arrived in the same period from County Cork. The author paints a vivid picture of life on the Island of East Boston and its waterfront. I learned that the Boston Brahmins would not allow the Irish “vermin” to be buried in Boston so that they had to go to distant Cambridge Cemetery, where my own Irish are buried. Also, I learned that Joseph Kennedy, JFK’s Father was not the first Kennedy to engage in the spirits business, it went back all the way to Bridget. A great book for history nuts. The book cover shows PJ Kennedy, his son Joe, and grandson JFK.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book borders between history and biography with some biographical information about Bridget Kennedy and her son P.J. Kennedy, the great grandmother and grandfather of the well known American Kennedys. The story starts in Ireland with Bridget’s travels to Boston during the potato famine and follows her life as a young, Irish widow, mother and business owner. Needless to say, Bridget had a lot going against her at that time in American history, yet her perseverance could be credited for the Kennedys and their impact on American history.

While the book does follow this specific family and give a fair amount of biographical information, I would argue that the Kennedys are really just a vessel for the author to share an extensive amount of information about a variety of historical events and ideas which were contemporary to the first Kennedy’s to arrive/live in America. For example, there are chapters filled with information related to: the Irish potato famine, transatlantic immigration, treatment of immigrants in America in the 1840s-early 1900s, anti-catholic and anti-Irish sentiments, tenement housing, cholera, the shipping industry and its turn to steam powered boats, the civil war, liquor sales and prohibitions and politics. At times the author had to speculate about biographical information due to poor record keeping, for example which ship Bridget sailed on or the date of someone’s birthday, so as a result it felt more of a general history of the time period. I was a bit bored during some of the sections such as the liquor sales or the politics but I can appreciate the extensive information and research covered. I think this would be a great book for anyone interested an Irish-American experience during this time period as well as anyone interested in the first Kennedy’s and their family.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

[Brianna Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The First Kennedys focused first on Bridget and Patrick Kennedy, who (separately) immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland, then spent the bulk of the book taking readers through the life of their son P.J.

While I am not someone that has spent much time learning about the Kennedy family in general, I know that many Americans have a fascination with them and thought it would be interesting to see where their story began. I admittedly knew very little about what Irish people experienced when they first immigrated to the U.S. (and in this book it was primarily focused on the Irish experience in the Boston area). I was shocked and appalled to learn how they were treated, which really made Bridget, Patrick, and P.J.'s stories that much more impressive. The Kennedy family came from essentially nothing, and after reading this book, I do believe that Bridget deserves a lot of the credit for changing the trajectory of the Kennedy family's lives (including the generations that came after her and her children).

While I truly respect the amount of time, energy, and research that the author must have put into this book, I did find it a bit long-winded, dry, and mired in the details a bit too much at certain times. I found myself not wanting to pick the book up and trudging through small sections before putting it down again. It took me quite a while to get through this book, which is not typical for me. There was a good deal of time spent on Boston politics - and while pertinent, it just felt like more detail than necessary.

To be fair, I am not the target audience for this book. I'm not a history buff, nor have I ever taken a real interest in the Kennedy family. So while I would have preferred a shorter, more concise version of this book, I have no doubt that others will find it fascinating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[jimtown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book but I found the beginning very informative. It was more about history, most especially history of Boston than about the early members of the Kennedy family. Finding the family members in documentation was difficult because so many of the Irish carried the same names. So much of it was likely or probable, but not for certain.

What I learned was that the Irish potato famine sent many Irish to leave their country, which was ruled by England. Many of the Irish farmers were like sharecroppers to the English rule, and much of the food they grew went to feed the Brits. So they were left eating mostly potatoes. When the crop failed the Irish had no food.

There was also a lot of sickness during the time the Irish were immigrating in the mid 1800s, in Ireland, on the ships and even after the Irish arrived in America. In fact at the time, only 50% of children in Boston made it past age 5. The Irish (and Catholics) were not wanted in Boston and were constantly belittled in the Boston newspapers. This book does not shine a favorable light on the Bostonian's.

The many Bridget's, Biddy's became servants or nannies to the elite of Boston even though many ads in the newspaper specifically said "Irish need not apply." When Bridget Kennedy's husband died at age 40, she was left with her three daughters and baby boy, PJ. to keep home and fed. Her orphaned niece lived with them and cared for her young cousins so Bridget could keep a job.

Many of the youngsters in Boston were fatherless during those years because of the Civil War, sickness and accidents. They were raised by women who were motivated to keep their families together. Bridget made several moves that were successful and allowed her family to fare better than many.

From this point in the book we move on to PJ, and I started to lose interest.

[Debra Pawlak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance reading copy (arc) of this book from NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. A lot has been written about the Kennedy family beginning with Joseph Kennedy and his famous sons, but little is known about the Irish immigrants, Bridget Murphy and Patrick Kennedy, who left Ireland in the 1800s to come to America. Author Neal Thompson did a fine job describing what their lives must have been like during their sea voyage and the dire circumstances they lived in once they arrived in Boston. The Irish Catholics were not wanted and ostracized by the citizens who lived there. Despite the difficulties, Bridget worked as a maid and Patrick worked wherever he could until he died of consumption. That left Bridget a widow with three daughters and one son, P.J. She was made of true grit, however, and kept her family together finding work as a domesticate, hairdresser, and finally opening her very own grocery story. Her son took some time to find his way, but once he opened his own bar, he became a well-known and well-liked man in the community. He rose to prominence not only financially, but also became a political success paving the way for his politically-inclined descendents. It was an eye-opening read to see how one family rose from nothing to the greatest of heights. P.J. was a respected businessman who was very much loved by his patrons and his supporters. He was known for his kindness and honesty--something that was not passed on to his son, Joseph. If you think you know everything about the Kennedy clan, you probably don't know know much about Bridget and Patrick. It would be well worth your time to read this book and find out how it all began. You might be very surprised. Neal Thompson did a fine job researchng and writing their story.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kennedy family has always been of interest to me, so right away I knew I wanted to read about the couple who started their family in America. I knew they were Irish, but had no idea that their ancestors lived through the famine and came to the United States with nothing but hope and determination.

Initially the Irish immigrants were not welcomed in Boston. Over the years, as more and more immigrated, they changed the demographics of Boston. Along with the demographic changes, came changes in education, housing and employment opportunities that gave the immigrants a much better way of life.

The Kennedy family is the perfect immigrant success story. Within three generations, they rose from poverty to great wealth and privilege. What is so amazing about this is that Bridget, the family matriarch and first young woman from the family to come from Ireland, managed to raise four children as a widow, gradually raising her earning potential as the children grew up. It truly seems she was the backbone of the family and a big reason her son Patrick was so successful.

The bulk of the story focuses on Patrick, who held many titles during his adult life. He is most known for his role in politics and as a successful businessman. Patrick also embraced his Irish Catholic heritage. He was a listener and very good with people.

I was impressed at the amount of information the author was able to find about Bridget during that time period, since there are so few records for women. It’s a shame there wasn’t more recorded of Bridget’s life, because she was really the person who cultivated the family’s future success.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to offer my honest review.