The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis [Hardcover]

Caroline Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2001

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis loved literature, especially poetry. Once you can express yourself, she wrote, you can tell the world what you want from it. Now, Caroline Kennedy shares her mothers favorite poems by such renowned authors as William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, e.e. cummings, and Robert Frost. The book also includes a poem written by Jacqueline Kennedy and is illustrated with photographs of the Kennedy clan. This is a wonderful volume for reading aloud or by yourself and a meaningful gift or keepsake for Mothers Day.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis have been selected by someone who should know: Caroline Kennedy. While Caroline's two confirmed appearances on the Today Show, a first serial in Good Housekeeping, and further publicity should make this easily the bestselling poetry title of the season, it doesn't hurt that Jackie's taste was excellent. Charming poems from John Clare, Kipling, and a young Jimmy Kennedy are complemented by work from Langston Hughes, Robert Frost and Elizabeth Bishop and by 14 b&w family photos. Caroline Kennedy has organized more than 100 poems into seven sections ("America"; "Adventure" etc.), written short, intimate introductions to each and included a small selection of Jackie's own poems.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Introduced and with a running commentary by Caroline Kennedy, these are poems her mother shared with her and that she in turn shares with her own children. It's not surprising, therefore, that many are cute little poems about animals (though written with the adult audience in mind). Others are by Robert Frost (and the tape includes him reading at JFK's inauguration), Shakespeare, Yeats, Dickinson, and several excerpts from the Greek classics. Particularly striking, set against the backdrop of the 1960s when the Kennedy children were growing up, are the poems by Langston Hughes (a particularly memorable piece about a boy looking for the Jim Crow section of the carousel), Countee Cullen, and Jean Toomer. Unfortunately, Kennedy's commentary is wooden and often refers to works not on the tape. The Lord's Prayer, America the Beautiful, and passages from the Bible seem a little too "inspirational." Still, with the inclusion of four poems written by the former First Lady herself, this is bound to be a popular item; recommended for most public libraries. Rochelle Ratner, formerly with "Soho Weekly News," New York
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; First edition (September 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786868090
• ISBN-13: 978-0786868094
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #478,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lovely Tribute from Caroline to Her Mother, September 25, 2001

By 

V. Garlock "Radical Feminist" (Sandusky, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis (Hardcover)

I think I can liberally say, and that others will agree, that the Kennedy family revels in their iconography (for example, the catalogue for the JACQUELINE KENNEDY: THE WHITE HOUSE YEARS exhibit.) However, every once in a while, they have an inspiring moment that allows us to see the person, and not the icon, that is celebrated. This book is one of those moments.

Now, it is a definite possibility that someone is going to complain when they get this book--they will say that there is nothing new revealed about Jackie, and that nothing Caroline Kennedy says has any depth when discussing her mother. Yes, they are right--there is nothing new revealed here, but Caroline Kennedy is not the type of person who would write a tell-all-book in the first place. As she says, this book was written because her mother gave her family their love of poetry, and she wants to inspire others to develop their own love of poetry too.

As for the poems, they range from the Biblical to the very modern poets like e.e. cummings. The book is divided into 7 sections: America, First Poems, Adventure, Escape, Romance and Love, Reflection, and In Her Own Words.
Each section opens with an introduction by Caroline as to why her mother liked or was inspired by the poems, and some of the poems have footnotes explaining why they were particularly important to include in the book.

Another thing people will be bound to complain about is that all the poetry that JKO wrote that is included in this has been published before. But that is acknowledged by Caroline, and as she explains it--that were included to encourage people to write poetry of their own.

This book was very clearly designed in such a way to make you want to pick it up and read it on a cold, windy, rainy day...sitting around the fireside... (The pages have an old book look to them) ....which is probably why it was released in October, and not, in say, June.

And as for myself, I can't put it down, even if (as some future reviewers will probably say) it is all fluff and puff with "no" substance. (I do think poetry is substance in case you are wondering!)

I will not tell you to buy whether to buy it or not, but please keep in mind it is an ANTHOLOGY OF POEMS above all else, and NOT an in-depth look of how JKO's love of literature would influence her throughout her life.

80 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a loving daughter's tribute, October 30, 2001

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis (Hardcover)

"The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis," selected and introduced by Caroline Kennedy, is a beautiful book which is both a memorial to our former First Lady and a testimonial to how cultured and informed she was.

The volume is also a short course in poetry, as it spans the centuries & includes works by such renowned authors as Langston Hughes, William Shakespeare, Homer, W.B. Yeats, Emily Dickinson, e.e. cummings, and Robert Frost.

Onassis' beloved poems reveal her in depth in a manner the newspapers could not, as a patriotic American, a loving bride, a thinker, a dreamer, an adventurer, a humorist, a poet, and perhaps most of all, a dedicated and loving mother.

Surely there is no better tribute to a mother than to have a loving child publish such a book.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delight!, September 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis (Hardcover)

What a pleasure to read EACH of these poems. So many have familiar parts, and now I see them in context. I'm not a real poetry fan, so I am unfamiliar with what others might call "chestnuts." I was looking for good things to read to my 7-yr-olds, and this is wonderful. For them and for me. Thank you for a wonderful collection that is going to lead me to buy the complete works of many of these poets.