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I'm not sure why I wanted to read this book...I think I was fascinated when I saw the author interviewed on TV a few years ago. She seemed like such a sweet lady and curiosity got the better of me. I've always been fascinated by stories of famous people and the Kennedys in particular.
Well, I ended up feeling dirty reading the first half of this book. I also wanted to take the young Mimi Beardsley and shake her. First of all, she was raped, plain and simple. And instead of at the very least trying to distance herself from her rapist, she goes full-tilt into a non-loving, sex-only relationship where she seems to think her "lover" cares about her, yet sends for her at his whim, makes her wait sometimes days in a hotel room until he's ready for her and then makes inane small talk with her when the deed is over. Ick. I couldn't help wonder why she had so little self-esteem, but then realized that the thing that drew me to this book to read it, drew the immature and naive 19 year old. As far as the facts of the story? I don't doubt that some have become forgotten and/or embellished over the years. The "first time" had all sorts of bells go off and red lights flash for me. On the First Lady's bed? A virgin? And absolutely no mention of any "mess" made? And the president deftly reaching up and pulling off her underwear without her help. Well, I grew up in those early 60's and we didn't even have pantyhose in those days and women/girls never went bare-legged while wearing a dress. There were bulky girdles or garter belts (not those we see today at Victoria's Secret) and garters and nylons. That swift removal of underwear just would NOT have happened. The second half of the book involved a lot of description of her trying to forget the affair, how her telling her fiance of her affair the night JFK died, changed their relationship but they still married and spent 26 years together. But what bothered me the most throughout the book? While she mentions Jackie Kennedy several times, there is NEVER any remorse or thought at all of the fact that she was screwing the president who was MARRIED and how it might affect Jackie. It was all about the author's feelings. Needless to say, by the end of the book, I didn't think she was such a sweet lady anymore and I still wanted to shake her.
Well, I ended up feeling dirty reading the first half of this book. I also wanted to take the young Mimi Beardsley and shake her. First of all, she was raped, plain and simple. And instead of at the very least trying to distance herself from her rapist, she goes full-tilt into a non-loving, sex-only relationship where she seems to think her "lover" cares about her, yet sends for her at his whim, makes her wait sometimes days in a hotel room until he's ready for her and then makes inane small talk with her when the deed is over. Ick. I couldn't help wonder why she had so little self-esteem, but then realized that the thing that drew me to this book to read it, drew the immature and naive 19 year old. As far as the facts of the story? I don't doubt that some have become forgotten and/or embellished over the years. The "first time" had all sorts of bells go off and red lights flash for me. On the First Lady's bed? A virgin? And absolutely no mention of any "mess" made? And the president deftly reaching up and pulling off her underwear without her help. Well, I grew up in those early 60's and we didn't even have pantyhose in those days and women/girls never went bare-legged while wearing a dress. There were bulky girdles or garter belts (not those we see today at Victoria's Secret) and garters and nylons. That swift removal of underwear just would NOT have happened. The second half of the book involved a lot of description of her trying to forget the affair, how her telling her fiance of her affair the night JFK died, changed their relationship but they still married and spent 26 years together. But what bothered me the most throughout the book? While she mentions Jackie Kennedy several times, there is NEVER any remorse or thought at all of the fact that she was screwing the president who was MARRIED and how it might affect Jackie. It was all about the author's feelings. Needless to say, by the end of the book, I didn't think she was such a sweet lady anymore and I still wanted to shake her.