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A review by jaclynday
Fairy Tale Interrupted: What JFK Jr. Taught Me About Life, Love, and Loss by RoseMarie Terenzio
4.0
Terenzio found herself in the unique position of being JFK, Jr.’s personal assistant during the early days of what would eventually become George magazine in the late 1990’s. This book is her telling of that experience—mainly focusing on her close personal relationship with him and Carolyn.
It’s a fascinating book, of course, because there’s nothing better than someone describing intimate details of the life of a Kennedy. And, to hear Terenzio’s story, there’s really no one better than her to do so, since she more or less ran his life for some years—arguably the most important years, the ones leading up to his death in 1999.
Despite what you might think (or hope for) before starting the book, there’s no dishy gossip or dirt-throwing. Terenzio maintains the positive public persona of Kennedy and tries her damnedest to lay to rest some of the more ugly rumors about him and his wife Carolyn. Terenzio was clearly in awe of Carolyn, who took her under her wing and generously provided her with friendship and a new wardrobe to boot. It’s a respectable eulogy for the couple and shows their desire to make their relationship work even in less-than-perfect circumstances.
Unfortunately, we all know how the story ends, but it’s to Terenzio’s credit that she doesn’t enter into an overwrought play-by-play of the days-long search for the missing plane and instead focuses on the very real personal losses she felt. She could have easily turned the book exploitative here, but chose not to and is rewarded by coming off as a loyal friend and employee over a decade later.
It’s a fascinating book, of course, because there’s nothing better than someone describing intimate details of the life of a Kennedy. And, to hear Terenzio’s story, there’s really no one better than her to do so, since she more or less ran his life for some years—arguably the most important years, the ones leading up to his death in 1999.
Despite what you might think (or hope for) before starting the book, there’s no dishy gossip or dirt-throwing. Terenzio maintains the positive public persona of Kennedy and tries her damnedest to lay to rest some of the more ugly rumors about him and his wife Carolyn. Terenzio was clearly in awe of Carolyn, who took her under her wing and generously provided her with friendship and a new wardrobe to boot. It’s a respectable eulogy for the couple and shows their desire to make their relationship work even in less-than-perfect circumstances.
Unfortunately, we all know how the story ends, but it’s to Terenzio’s credit that she doesn’t enter into an overwrought play-by-play of the days-long search for the missing plane and instead focuses on the very real personal losses she felt. She could have easily turned the book exploitative here, but chose not to and is rewarded by coming off as a loyal friend and employee over a decade later.