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Letters to Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation
“A terrific, original, and important work….Fitzpatrick provides a stunningly fresh look at the impact of JFK’s assassination on the American people.”
—Doris Kearns Goodwin For Letters to Jackie , noted historian and News Hour with Jim Lehrer commentator Ellen Fitzpatrick combed through literally thousands of condolence messages sent by ordinary Americans to Jacqueline Kennedy following the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy, in 1963. The first book ever to examine this extraordinary collection, Letters to Jackie presents 250 intimate, heartfelt, eye-opening responses to what was arguably the most devastating event in twentieth century America, providing a fascinating perspective on a singular time in the history of our nation.
—Doris Kearns Goodwin For Letters to Jackie , noted historian and News Hour with Jim Lehrer commentator Ellen Fitzpatrick combed through literally thousands of condolence messages sent by ordinary Americans to Jacqueline Kennedy following the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy, in 1963. The first book ever to examine this extraordinary collection, Letters to Jackie presents 250 intimate, heartfelt, eye-opening responses to what was arguably the most devastating event in twentieth century America, providing a fascinating perspective on a singular time in the history of our nation.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
83 people are currently reading
1389 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Fitzpatrick
13 books13 followersEllen Fitzpatrick, a professor and scholar specializing in modern American political and intellectual history, is the author and editor of six books and has appeared regularly on PBS’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. She has been interviewed as an expert on modern American political history by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, CBS’s Face the Nation, and National Public Radio.The Carpenter Professor of History at the University of New Hampshire, where she has been recognized for Excellence in Public Service, Fitzpatrick lives in Newton, Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
November 20, 2011
An incredibly powerful, wrenching, and surprisingly revealing read that upends much of what you might have thought about the 35th president and his impact on the masses of ordinary Americans in the early 1960s. Having ingested the overwhelming majority of bios in the vast JFK sub-genre, I had doubted that I would learn anything from opening up the covers of this book. I was profoundly wrong. Fitzpatrick has painstakingly excavated not only the raw emotions of the assasination's aftermath, but also an America that has receded into the mists of history. The historian Alan Brinkley once acknowledged that the conventional historical analysis of JFK was somehow wildly off the mark, that somehow the historians has missed something about JFK that the masses had grasped. This book captures the emotional truth and perception of Kennedy that Brinkley referred to, and in doing so, outperforms dozens of biographies of the man.
August 21, 2016
It will take me a awhile to get through this book, as the letters are so beautiful and poignant, I seem to weep after every other one. You should definitely keep a box of kleenex next to you while reading. The widespread grief felt by JFK's death and the insights into the way he touched people's lives across the country is truly fascinating and inspiring. This book reminds me what America is all about.
June 29, 2010
This was just phenomenal to read. In carefully curating this collection of condolence letters to Jackie Kennedy, Ellen Fitzpatrick paints a portrait of American life in this confusing and difficult time.
There were originally almost a million letters, I'm amazed she got this book down to 250. I loved how she reproduced them without changing them- spelling errors and confusing syntax and all.
If you are a crier I do NOT recommend this for the subway. I got so teary-eyed reading these! Especially reading letters from very disenfranchised people-- black people, immigrants, the disabled, the very poor, etc. People put so much hope in JFK and really spoke eloquently in their letters.
I'm not a letter-writer myself, and especially as this is a lost way of communicating now, it was eerie to read these incredibly personal letters. I am from the era of "the president posts something on facebook and then there are a million comments". People really opened up to Jackie in their letters about their personal lives and the reasons why JFK meant so much to them. So it was really strange to me to read, yet beautiful and alien to me.
I think the timing of this book coming out might have impacted the way I see it. I heard so much of today in these letters from the past-- so much yearning and anxiety about what the future will look like. And I really see many parallels between JFK and Obama. Both young, both super likable with a popular first family; even when effectiveness was low and things didn't happen the way everyone wanted them to, he was just a generally well-liked President in a time when change was desperately needed.
the author did something magnificent-- she tracked down the letter writers and had an appendix with what happened to them later in life- either directly from the letter-writer or a surviving heir. HOWEVER, my only complaint about this book that since I thought this was one of the *best* parts of the book, I really really wish she had just printed each follow-up after each letter rather than an appendix. This book to me was really about the letter-writers, and I didn't like having to flip to the back and alphabetically find them 250 times.
There were originally almost a million letters, I'm amazed she got this book down to 250. I loved how she reproduced them without changing them- spelling errors and confusing syntax and all.
If you are a crier I do NOT recommend this for the subway. I got so teary-eyed reading these! Especially reading letters from very disenfranchised people-- black people, immigrants, the disabled, the very poor, etc. People put so much hope in JFK and really spoke eloquently in their letters.
I'm not a letter-writer myself, and especially as this is a lost way of communicating now, it was eerie to read these incredibly personal letters. I am from the era of "the president posts something on facebook and then there are a million comments". People really opened up to Jackie in their letters about their personal lives and the reasons why JFK meant so much to them. So it was really strange to me to read, yet beautiful and alien to me.
I think the timing of this book coming out might have impacted the way I see it. I heard so much of today in these letters from the past-- so much yearning and anxiety about what the future will look like. And I really see many parallels between JFK and Obama. Both young, both super likable with a popular first family; even when effectiveness was low and things didn't happen the way everyone wanted them to, he was just a generally well-liked President in a time when change was desperately needed.
the author did something magnificent-- she tracked down the letter writers and had an appendix with what happened to them later in life- either directly from the letter-writer or a surviving heir. HOWEVER, my only complaint about this book that since I thought this was one of the *best* parts of the book, I really really wish she had just printed each follow-up after each letter rather than an appendix. This book to me was really about the letter-writers, and I didn't like having to flip to the back and alphabetically find them 250 times.
September 26, 2010
The letters in this collection are so articulate, honest, and heartfelt that I often found myself tearing up for not only a President I never knew, but for the letter writers themselves (many now deceased) who were grieving as if they had lost their own father. While the writers of these letters ranged from intellectual luminaries to uneducated African-Americans to young children, each writer evoked a sense of the nation's collective sadness -- a collective mourning that this country did not have to experience again until the events of 9/11.
One thought that kept coming to mind while reading these letters is the blatant connection between JFK and President Obama. Many of the attributes such as integrity, intellect, and charm that drew many of these Americans to JFK are the same traits that attracted thousands to Obama's election rallies and catapulted him into the White House.
My only quasi-complaint about this book is that I found it disruptive to continuously flip between the letters and the short bios of each writer in the book's back index. Aside from that small hiccup, I found this book fascinating and remarkable. Unfortunately, the art of letter writing may be gone, but that doesn't mean we cannot enjoy and learn from these letters, many of which are more insightful and revealing than any history book I will ever pick up.
One thought that kept coming to mind while reading these letters is the blatant connection between JFK and President Obama. Many of the attributes such as integrity, intellect, and charm that drew many of these Americans to JFK are the same traits that attracted thousands to Obama's election rallies and catapulted him into the White House.
My only quasi-complaint about this book is that I found it disruptive to continuously flip between the letters and the short bios of each writer in the book's back index. Aside from that small hiccup, I found this book fascinating and remarkable. Unfortunately, the art of letter writing may be gone, but that doesn't mean we cannot enjoy and learn from these letters, many of which are more insightful and revealing than any history book I will ever pick up.
March 30, 2010
This is a remarkable book - a glimpse into the personal lives of Americans forty-eight years ago.
Upon the tragic assasination of President Kennedy, Americans from all walks of life wrote his widow and talked about their own sense of loss and offered words of comfort. Often they bared their own deepest griefs and personal losses. They wrote about the tragedies that they still remembered and spoke plainly - and without complaints - about their own lives and the challenges they had faced. The letters are often heartbreaking and poignant.
Incredibly, the author not only culled this small selection from those remaining of the over 1 million letters which had been written to the President's widow, but she somehow managed to locate the writers or their surviving family. At the end of the book, there are brief comments about each one of the letter writers. These comments aren't just name, date of birth and place of residence, but descriptive phrases that enable you to learn more about what happened to the writer in the intervening years.
I highly recommend this book.
Upon the tragic assasination of President Kennedy, Americans from all walks of life wrote his widow and talked about their own sense of loss and offered words of comfort. Often they bared their own deepest griefs and personal losses. They wrote about the tragedies that they still remembered and spoke plainly - and without complaints - about their own lives and the challenges they had faced. The letters are often heartbreaking and poignant.
Incredibly, the author not only culled this small selection from those remaining of the over 1 million letters which had been written to the President's widow, but she somehow managed to locate the writers or their surviving family. At the end of the book, there are brief comments about each one of the letter writers. These comments aren't just name, date of birth and place of residence, but descriptive phrases that enable you to learn more about what happened to the writer in the intervening years.
I highly recommend this book.
March 27, 2011
Profoundly sad, inherently gorgeous, simplistically elegant... but as one of the letters said "when you grow up, you learn too many words and it becomes hard to choose the right ones."
This book is so much better than "Dear Mrs. Kennedy." That one was full of telegrams from famous people; this one had letters that could have been written by my grandparents. My favorite letter, and arguably the most well-written one, came from an inmate in Atlanta, Georgia.
My dream job would have been to help sort the letters for this book or archive the hundreds of thousands that remain unpublished at the Kennedy Library.
This book is so much better than "Dear Mrs. Kennedy." That one was full of telegrams from famous people; this one had letters that could have been written by my grandparents. My favorite letter, and arguably the most well-written one, came from an inmate in Atlanta, Georgia.
My dream job would have been to help sort the letters for this book or archive the hundreds of thousands that remain unpublished at the Kennedy Library.
April 30, 2010
I rec'd this book from goodreads and I really wanted to like it--the subject seemed very interesting--but I just couldn't get into it. I actually didn't finish the book. Some letters are interesting, most they have a common theme and it begins to feel redundant. I appreciated the history overview throughout the book (as I wasn't alive during this time period) and the brief bios of the letter writers at the back. Overall everyone was shocked, everyone was sad and everyone couldn't imagine what would now happen to the nation.
July 3, 2023
I'd like to be more intentional about reading books of letters, and I started with this one. I read this book a few letters at a time, learning a lot about how people felt and about correspondence in the early 1960s.
These letters tugged at my heart.
These letters tugged at my heart.
March 13, 2010
I received this book as part of the early reviewers program from Goodreads.com. I couldn't wait to read it as I remember what I was doing and where I was when this event happened. I was effected by this tragic time in our history as many others were. As I read the letters I was once again transported back to that time when so many of us cried as our televisions were on and we could not stop watching the events unfold right in front of us. The letters reflect many different things about that time in history. One letter that I was amazed at is on page 107 and was written by "A Negro Who beleave In God" and in part it reads "In the next Forty to Forty-Five Year A Negro from Louisiana will be come President of United States of American" - he got the state wrong but the rest is true. This book really tells how far we have come in improving our great nation. I would definitely recommend this book as a must read.
October 21, 2012
I would highly recommend reading this book. I was not yet born when President Kennedy was assassinated but have seen on many occasions my grandmother recount that day with a tear in her eye. Reading this book will give insight to everyone resding of the deep sorrow felt by this nation during that time. Praise for the president as well as condolences for the first lady were sent by the thousands while crossing all lines of color, age, economic or educational backgrounds. This book is a remarkable cross section of a small moment in time that left a lasting scar for that generation and beyond.
March 19, 2014
very touching collection of condolences
September 5, 2025
If not for the tears- sometimes weeping and other times outright ugly crying- after almost every letter, I could have finished this in a lot less time. I will definitely pick this book back up when I need to feel like people are good and kind and love our country; so basically everyday lately. This one will stay in my collection.
August 18, 2017
More accurate rating: 3.5 for overall enjoyment, 4.5 for providing snapshot of history through unusual lens and excellent framing of society in 1963.
This is a hard book to read on several levels. First, there is the emotional beating one takes reading 250 letters to the widow of one of the most well-known public figures of the 20th century. It's brutal to take in that much pain, confusion, and deep emotion in short order. Second, while many of the letters are eloquent and all seem heartfelt, they do blend together quickly. There are only so many ways to express sympathy under those circumstances. Fortunately, Fitzgerald provides breaks in the onslaught with a great deal of historical information about the Kennedys, the social and political climate, and the logistics of how the millions of letters were read, handled, sorted, and stored. (As it turns out, they were deeded to the JFK library, but there were so many that storage was impossible, so only a fraction remain.)
The 250 letters in this book represent all age groups, races, religions (or none) and political leanings. Each letter was transcribed faithfully, including poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and often quirky emphasis or phrasing. Some reviewers have complained about the less literate letters, as though perhaps those writers don't deserve their voices. I thought not editing the letters maintained the integrity of the book. A couple of my grandparents did not have the luxury of formal education, so I know from observation that when a person who is barely literate feels strongly enough to write a letter, they feel what they want to communicate is far more important than preserving their pride. It takes far more courage for a barely literate person to write a letter than it does someone who has an advanced degree.
I was a toddler in 1963. I obviously have no memory of the JFK assassination or events that followed. Neither do I recall family ever mentioning it, although it is hard to believe that they were totally unaffected by such a historical event. The early-to-mid 1960s is a period that has always held a fascination for me, maybe in no small part because it seems odd to have been alive when so much cultural shift was happening but have no associated memories. I now have a more complete picture of what was going on in the minds of some Americans. during 1963-1964 based on reading these letters.
This is a hard book to read on several levels. First, there is the emotional beating one takes reading 250 letters to the widow of one of the most well-known public figures of the 20th century. It's brutal to take in that much pain, confusion, and deep emotion in short order. Second, while many of the letters are eloquent and all seem heartfelt, they do blend together quickly. There are only so many ways to express sympathy under those circumstances. Fortunately, Fitzgerald provides breaks in the onslaught with a great deal of historical information about the Kennedys, the social and political climate, and the logistics of how the millions of letters were read, handled, sorted, and stored. (As it turns out, they were deeded to the JFK library, but there were so many that storage was impossible, so only a fraction remain.)
The 250 letters in this book represent all age groups, races, religions (or none) and political leanings. Each letter was transcribed faithfully, including poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and often quirky emphasis or phrasing. Some reviewers have complained about the less literate letters, as though perhaps those writers don't deserve their voices. I thought not editing the letters maintained the integrity of the book. A couple of my grandparents did not have the luxury of formal education, so I know from observation that when a person who is barely literate feels strongly enough to write a letter, they feel what they want to communicate is far more important than preserving their pride. It takes far more courage for a barely literate person to write a letter than it does someone who has an advanced degree.
I was a toddler in 1963. I obviously have no memory of the JFK assassination or events that followed. Neither do I recall family ever mentioning it, although it is hard to believe that they were totally unaffected by such a historical event. The early-to-mid 1960s is a period that has always held a fascination for me, maybe in no small part because it seems odd to have been alive when so much cultural shift was happening but have no associated memories. I now have a more complete picture of what was going on in the minds of some Americans. during 1963-1964 based on reading these letters.
April 3, 2013
Where does the assassination of John F. Kennedy rank in the shared history and culture of America? According to the hundreds of letters Ellen Fitzpatrick compiled in Letters to Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation, people lost a leader and a friend; a brother and a religious/political rival. They lost a president, their King Arthur. In the shock and void of the days following November 22nd, 1963, millions of Americans did the only thing they could - they wrote to Jacqueline Kennedy.
A book like Letters to Jackie lays bare what John Kennedy meant to his people. Every swath of America seemed to be touched, not only by the horror of Kennedy's death in broad daylight, but Jackie Kennedy's poise, grace and calm in the wake of her husband's death. They offered prayers, advice, love. They offered to visit her, they offered their homes for her to visit. They sent pictures, recollections, requests for replies to their letters and pictures of her and her children.
Too much of a good thing is still too much, however, and so many letters are included that the grief and commiserations seem to dull after the dozenth expression. I imagine Fitzpatrick and her team agonized over which letters to include, but perhaps a smaller sample would have made for a greater emotional impact.
Maybe even greater than the raw sorrow that pours forth from the letter-writers is the appendix that gives, in brief detail, their fates. They go from just being names at the bottom of their letter to people having families of their own, lives that either came to an end before the book was published, or are still going. Some were so galvanized by the events of November 22nd that they remained politically active. Some survived the Holocaust, or the sinking of the Titanic; others sifted through rubble at Ground Zero and campaigned for same-sex marriage.
The sheer scope of their experiences, all centering around the love and loss they felt with Jacqueline Kennedy, makes Letters to Jackie a unique, compelling and powerful documentation of one of the most pivotal moments in the history of the 20th century.
A book like Letters to Jackie lays bare what John Kennedy meant to his people. Every swath of America seemed to be touched, not only by the horror of Kennedy's death in broad daylight, but Jackie Kennedy's poise, grace and calm in the wake of her husband's death. They offered prayers, advice, love. They offered to visit her, they offered their homes for her to visit. They sent pictures, recollections, requests for replies to their letters and pictures of her and her children.
Too much of a good thing is still too much, however, and so many letters are included that the grief and commiserations seem to dull after the dozenth expression. I imagine Fitzpatrick and her team agonized over which letters to include, but perhaps a smaller sample would have made for a greater emotional impact.
Maybe even greater than the raw sorrow that pours forth from the letter-writers is the appendix that gives, in brief detail, their fates. They go from just being names at the bottom of their letter to people having families of their own, lives that either came to an end before the book was published, or are still going. Some were so galvanized by the events of November 22nd that they remained politically active. Some survived the Holocaust, or the sinking of the Titanic; others sifted through rubble at Ground Zero and campaigned for same-sex marriage.
The sheer scope of their experiences, all centering around the love and loss they felt with Jacqueline Kennedy, makes Letters to Jackie a unique, compelling and powerful documentation of one of the most pivotal moments in the history of the 20th century.
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March 7, 2010Great book, highly recommend it. I am very grateful for the opportunity to read these letters, expressing the thoughts and feelings of these letter writers. The unqualified heartfelt expressions of empathy and sympathy reminded me of a time when people were not filled with hate and judgment about indivdual's character flaws, puplically rejoicing in a person's faults, but instead chose to speak about that part of the individual's character that was truly great,because either it was real, which in this case it was, or believed, or instilled inspiration, or just because it was the right thing to say, to offer strength to those in a state of mourning and to share in that mourning.
February 10, 2014
i found this book to be very interesting and enlightening. I loved reading all the notes and letters from all over the world and from people of all walks of life. Not just adults , but teens, children, seniors, world leaders.... it was pretty unique. i had no idea there were so many letters and that they continued on for such a long length of time. I was a young child of 7 when this went down but i still remember it and dont think i will forget. I am so glad this book was offered at a great price and that it was available in kindle edition. It was well written and i thought very well done.
April 28, 2010
Just read about this one on the NY Times and the article alone brought tears to my eyes! Don't know how I'll get through reading the entire book...
I enjoyed this book as much as you can possible enjoy something with this sad of a topic. I was a little annoyed that after I read all of the letters, the last 30 pages were little biographies of the letter writers. It was too much to go back and look at each letter but I looked at a few and wish that I had known so I could have done that after reading each individual letter.
I enjoyed this book as much as you can possible enjoy something with this sad of a topic. I was a little annoyed that after I read all of the letters, the last 30 pages were little biographies of the letter writers. It was too much to go back and look at each letter but I looked at a few and wish that I had known so I could have done that after reading each individual letter.
April 22, 2010
Many of these letters were very touching but two things stuck out the most to me. 1) It is interesting to think back to how news stories used to spread before the internet, text messaging, round-the-clock news, etc. 2) So many of the same government issues are still on the table (health care, race relations, poverty).
Having not been alive in 1963, I found I could still relate to the shock and sadness of JFK's assassination. It brought back memories of 9/11 and collective grief of our nation.
Having not been alive in 1963, I found I could still relate to the shock and sadness of JFK's assassination. It brought back memories of 9/11 and collective grief of our nation.
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March 10, 2010This is a great book if you lived during the time of JFK's presidency and death. It says so much about people-----what poor souls we truly are---in suffering so much loss and confusion. I feel blessed because I did meet and get to know his son"John John" through philanthropy work in Manhattan. All jfk's death leaves us is just a big question mark. Interesting book about the personal devastation people can feel for another.
June 14, 2010
This was interesting up to a point. I only got about half-way through when the letters started to blur together. I enjoyed Fitzpatrick's historical analysis between sections of letters, but found them too sparse and after a while reading pretty much the same sentiments over and over became a bit depressing. I think this might have some value for Kennedy scholars but could have been much shorter as popular history.
April 18, 2010
The lost art of letting writing LIVES!
I love this book. It's like peaking into someone's box of saved stuff after they've died. You know they aren't going to catch you, yet it still seems like you have to sneak.
Fitzpatrick picks incredible letters written by average people, but occasionally throws in some who are historically relevant or were familiar with the President and First Lady, either through fund raising, or during the funeral procession.
This book is not to be missed.
I love this book. It's like peaking into someone's box of saved stuff after they've died. You know they aren't going to catch you, yet it still seems like you have to sneak.
Fitzpatrick picks incredible letters written by average people, but occasionally throws in some who are historically relevant or were familiar with the President and First Lady, either through fund raising, or during the funeral procession.
This book is not to be missed.
May 3, 2010
This book is a compilation of over 200 letters that were sent to Jackie Kennedy after her husband was assassinated. The most interesting aspect of this book to me was reading the history of the events of the day JFK was killed and other commentary. Reading letter after letter got redundant after a while and I found myself skimming to the commentary provided by the author. This book does provide an interesting view of a different time.
June 14, 2010
It was good - not amazing, but definitely good. A compilation of letters sent to Jackie O after the assassination of her husband and how they represented Americans was interesting. Many subgroups of people were represented and some accounts brought a tear to my eye. A bit repetitive - hundreds of letters on the same topic to the same person with similar emotions behind them - but a new glimpse into a fascinating era of history.
December 25, 2013
I think that this book is very important, especially since I did not live through this tragedy. By reading this book and these letters I feel like I've been transported to the days surrounding the shooting. I can feel some of the pain, anger, and confusion that the writers were feeling as they wrote to First Lady Jackie Kennedy. If you read this book, and I seriously recommend that you do, keep a box of tissues handy because I've been crying a lot as I read it.
October 25, 2010
I actually didn't finish this book. While many of the letters were interesting, in the end it just got old, and I was tired of reading them. I think if I'd just read bits of it from time to time while reading something else, I would have made it through the whole thing, but reading it straight up was just too much.
May 20, 2010
These letters were very heartfelt and they really showed how much the nation was suffering even months after the assassination of JKF. The letters were very considerate and were written as a way of showing how the people were sorry about what happened to JFK and they gave their condolences to Jackie Kennedy like through that as well as go through their own emotions.
Great book.
Great book.
June 3, 2010
Facinating book...so sad...so many people felt compelled to write Jackie & tell her their feelings...their grief of loosing their President, her husband. The letters sat in the Library of Congress for years and years & finally the author decided to put it all together in a book...I liked it...it was historical. Now if only they could solve the mystery of his assination!
July 4, 2010
Thought the book would be more about how Jackie dealt with the death.
It's obviously letters from a grieving nation. There was not anything outstanding in these letters. I'm a huge follower of Jackie K. O. This book really does not reflect more insight to her experience. This is a new book. I understand why no one published this sort of book before.
It's obviously letters from a grieving nation. There was not anything outstanding in these letters. I'm a huge follower of Jackie K. O. This book really does not reflect more insight to her experience. This is a new book. I understand why no one published this sort of book before.
March 16, 2010
I was not alive during the Kennedy time but this book made me ask a lot of questions. I"m sure glad I picked it up. You won't be disappointed. The writers of these letters are young and old, educated and non-educated, black, white and every other race.
July 4, 2010
Everyone knows where they were when JFK was killed. It was a terrible time in our history. These are letters send to Jackie after he was killed. Not a book that you can sit down and just read. I read most of the letters over a period of time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews