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The Nine of Us cover art

The Nine of Us

By: Jean Kennedy Smith
Narrated by: Lorna Raver
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Summary

In this evocative and affectionate memoir, Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving child of Joe and Rose Kennedy, offers an intimate and illuminating look at a time long ago when she and her siblings, guided by their parents, laughed and learned a great deal under one roof.

Prompted by interesting tidbits in the newspaper, Rose and Joe Kennedy would pose questions to their nine children at the dinner table. "Where could Amelia Earhart have gone?" "How would you address this horrible drought?" "What would you do about the troop movements in Europe?" It was a nightly custom that helped shape the Kennedys into who they would become.

Before Joe and Rose's children emerged as leaders on the world stage, they were a loving circle of brothers and sisters who played football, swam, read, and pursued their interests. They were children inspired by parents who instilled in them a strong work ethic, a deep love of country, and an intense appreciation for the sacrifices their ancestors made to come to America. "No whining in this house!" was their father's regular refrain. It was his way of reminding them not to complain, to be grateful for what they had, and to give back.

In her remarkable memoir, Kennedy Smith - the last surviving sibling - revisits this singular time in their lives. Filled with fascinating anecdotes and vignettes, The Nine of Us vividly depicts this large, close-knit family during a different time in American history. Kennedy Smith offers indelible, elegantly rendered portraits of her larger-than-life siblings and her parents. "They knew how to cure our hurts, bind our wounds, listen to our woes, and help us enjoy life," she writes. "We were lucky children indeed."

©2016 Jean Kennedy Smith (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

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Sugar coated rubbish

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

More truth and less fantasy

What could Jean Kennedy Smith have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Be truthful!! This was a family full of shameful dark secrets and flawed personalities. I love (not) the way she makes it sound as if they were nothing but pure angels with Rosemary when in fact her own father agreed to a frontal lobotomy which all but killed her and then she was shipped off to a home never to be spoken of again. And what about JFK frolicking on a floating harem in the Mediterranean whilst his wife gave birth to a stillborn child and he refused to come home. Oh and yes let's not forget Teddy Kennedy and Chippaquaddick or Joe snr shameful term as an Ambassador and his lifelong infidelities-great Catholic example he was. What a joke Jean you can fool some of the people...........in reality none of these children were remarkable they were a product of a very detramined couple with out of control egos and a lot of money. There are far better books on the Kennedys out there this is just an insider job which seeks to preserve the myth.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I thought the narrator did a great job with such weak material

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Utter shock that someone who lived amongst it could even fool themselves.

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