Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath
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Opiniones destacadas de los Estados Unidos
- 5.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaExcellent!Calificado en Estados Unidos el 17 de diciembre de 2024I'm an avid reader, but also a selective one. If the book doesn't grab me in the first chapter, it's a goner. My motto is "so many books... So little time" This book grabbed me from the first chapter and I was anxious to read it, but also I... Ver másI'm an avid reader, but also a selective one. If the book doesn't grab me in the first chapter, it's a goner. My motto is "so many books... So little time"
This book grabbed me from the first chapter and I was anxious to read it, but also I enjoyed reading every word.. I didn't want it to end. But, It did anand with a satisfying ending as the author wrapped up any loose ends.
I'm an avid reader, but also a selective one. If the book doesn't grab me in the first chapter, it's a goner. My motto is "so many books... So little time"
This book grabbed me from the first chapter and I was anxious to read it, but also I enjoyed reading every word.. I didn't want it to end. But, It did anand with a satisfying ending as the author wrapped up any loose ends.
- 4.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaAnd That Was the Way it Was...Calificado en Estados Unidos el 16 de febrero de 2012(Kindle edition) I read Mimi Alford's book after listening to her being interviewed on NBC last week. Mrs Alford has become a very candid woman, who decided after fifty years to share the story of her affair with President John F Kennedy and what happened next, and how... Ver más(Kindle edition) I read Mimi Alford's book after listening to her being interviewed on NBC last week. Mrs Alford has become a very candid woman, who decided after fifty years to share the story of her affair with President John F Kennedy and what happened next, and how keeping her secret caused unforeseen complications in her personal life. I am only a few years younger than the author, and much of what she relates about the times and the prevailing attitude towards women is the way I remember it. And also having briefly met all three of the Kennedy brothers at the 1960 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles as a high school newspaper reporter, I can vouch for the charm that they had for an impressionable young girl.
As everyone who has read the book, or saw the interview, knows Mimi Alford was a teenager when she was offered a job as a summer intern in the White House Press Office. Less than a week after she started her dream job, the author gave her virginity to the president in his wife's bedroom. That was the beginning of a sexual relationship that lasted until shortly before his death, but the emotional impact of the relationship lingered for decades and was, the author believes, the cause of her increasing estrangement from her husband that ended their marriage 26 years later.
The author never engages in specific, intimate details of the sexual aspect of their affair, other than to say it was "highly charged" and exciting. What she does relate has more to do with the logistics of their affair -- how David Powers arranged for her to be picked up at college by car for trips to the White House, how she travelled on Air Force One (to the increasing resentment of the regular staff), and how the president even managed to call her at her dorm on a public phone without being detected. She also relates that they spent much time in the East Wing of the White House in JFK's bedroom, and she writes about how she sat and cried with the president after the death of his infant son. Mrs Alford never felt guilty about having an affair with a married man, and never met Mrs Kennedy, who spent much of her time away from the White House. Like the president, the author compartmentalized that part of her life, keeping it apart from everything else. Although she continued to have sex with the president after she became engaged to a young college man, the president began to disengage from the relationship. After his death in Dallas, Mimi confessed her relationship to her future husband, who ordered her to never speak of it again, not even to him. It festered within the author for decades before her identity finally became know due to some oral histories recorded by former White House staffers. The author finally decided to "come out" to her daughters and other close friends, and ultimately to write her memoir.
Mimi Alford was rather typical of her time and social class -- the 1950's and 1960's in the world of the affluent Northeast-Mid-Atlantic region. Marriage was the highest goal, women were "girls" even when girlhood was only a dim memory, men were in charge, and the press stayed out of the private life of the president, even when suspecting the presence of mistresses and casual encounters. The author seems to have good insight into the nature of her realationship with the president and to history. She never felt the president was in love with her, and even related some incidents that showed a truly dark side of him and the relationship. She states that she was not even a "footnote to a footnote" in the history of the Kennedy administration. To me the one false note, which indicates to me a remarkable lack of understanding of either her husband or of men in general,is when she writes that she had hoped someday that she and her husband could have treated the affair with JFK as an amusing incident in her early life and laugh about it. Otherwise, we are treated to the increasing estrangement from everything except her children that she often felt in the last 13 years of her marriage (her divorced husband died in the mid-1990's). Her insights into the damaging nature of secrets is worthwhile reading. The book is well written -- the author has a nice literary style -- and I feel that she has been totally candid with the readers and the American public.
About the Kindle edition: I was disappointed that the cover was not included with the Kindle download. The title page contained the only photograph in the entire book -- a picture of the author at the time of her affair with the president. During her TV interview there were personal photographs shown, and I assumed they were also in the book. They were not.
(Kindle edition) I read Mimi Alford's book after listening to her being interviewed on NBC last week. Mrs Alford has become a very candid woman, who decided after fifty years to share the story of her affair with President John F Kennedy and what happened next, and how keeping her secret caused unforeseen complications in her personal life. I am only a few years younger than the author, and much of what she relates about the times and the prevailing attitude towards women is the way I remember it. And also having briefly met all three of the Kennedy brothers at the 1960 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles as a high school newspaper reporter, I can vouch for the charm that they had for an impressionable young girl.
As everyone who has read the book, or saw the interview, knows Mimi Alford was a teenager when she was offered a job as a summer intern in the White House Press Office. Less than a week after she started her dream job, the author gave her virginity to the president in his wife's bedroom. That was the beginning of a sexual relationship that lasted until shortly before his death, but the emotional impact of the relationship lingered for decades and was, the author believes, the cause of her increasing estrangement from her husband that ended their marriage 26 years later.
The author never engages in specific, intimate details of the sexual aspect of their affair, other than to say it was "highly charged" and exciting. What she does relate has more to do with the logistics of their affair -- how David Powers arranged for her to be picked up at college by car for trips to the White House, how she travelled on Air Force One (to the increasing resentment of the regular staff), and how the president even managed to call her at her dorm on a public phone without being detected. She also relates that they spent much time in the East Wing of the White House in JFK's bedroom, and she writes about how she sat and cried with the president after the death of his infant son. Mrs Alford never felt guilty about having an affair with a married man, and never met Mrs Kennedy, who spent much of her time away from the White House. Like the president, the author compartmentalized that part of her life, keeping it apart from everything else. Although she continued to have sex with the president after she became engaged to a young college man, the president began to disengage from the relationship. After his death in Dallas, Mimi confessed her relationship to her future husband, who ordered her to never speak of it again, not even to him. It festered within the author for decades before her identity finally became know due to some oral histories recorded by former White House staffers. The author finally decided to "come out" to her daughters and other close friends, and ultimately to write her memoir.
Mimi Alford was rather typical of her time and social class -- the 1950's and 1960's in the world of the affluent Northeast-Mid-Atlantic region. Marriage was the highest goal, women were "girls" even when girlhood was only a dim memory, men were in charge, and the press stayed out of the private life of the president, even when suspecting the presence of mistresses and casual encounters. The author seems to have good insight into the nature of her realationship with the president and to history. She never felt the president was in love with her, and even related some incidents that showed a truly dark side of him and the relationship. She states that she was not even a "footnote to a footnote" in the history of the Kennedy administration. To me the one false note, which indicates to me a remarkable lack of understanding of either her husband or of men in general,is when she writes that she had hoped someday that she and her husband could have treated the affair with JFK as an amusing incident in her early life and laugh about it. Otherwise, we are treated to the increasing estrangement from everything except her children that she often felt in the last 13 years of her marriage (her divorced husband died in the mid-1990's). Her insights into the damaging nature of secrets is worthwhile reading. The book is well written -- the author has a nice literary style -- and I feel that she has been totally candid with the readers and the American public.
About the Kindle edition: I was disappointed that the cover was not included with the Kindle download. The title page contained the only photograph in the entire book -- a picture of the author at the time of her affair with the president. During her TV interview there were personal photographs shown, and I assumed they were also in the book. They were not.
- 5.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaThe Reader Will Be Sorry When Their Insider's Tour Of Camelot EndsCalificado en Estados Unidos el 12 de febrero de 2012This is one of the most readable books ever published. It's a page-turner filled with honest and riveting reporting of an affair that a nineteen-year old high school student had with the most powerful man in the world--JFK. As one of the author's friends stated... Ver másThis is one of the most readable books ever published. It's a page-turner filled with honest and riveting reporting of an affair that a nineteen-year old high school student had with the most powerful man in the world--JFK. As one of the author's friends stated after hearing about the games Mimi and JFK played with the rubber duckies he kept in his bathtub, Mimi "didn't have an affair with the President--she had a play date."
As an aside, the books content pretty much lets Bill Clinton off the hook for his trysts with his "Intern in the Blue Dress." Clinton's mistake was that he got terrible advice and tried to stonewall the rumors about his intern. He lied to his cabinet and had them lie for him and then he, himself, lied in court. Kennedy probably wouldn't have lied, he would simply have smiled, winked and laughed the rumors away. And his Senate and White House staff wasn't trying to stop Kennedy's affairs or "bimbo eruptions" as they were nicked named in Clinton's time; they were enabling them while keeping them hidden and protecting their boss.
The author of this memoir about her 18-month affair was a preppy who may have been naive and a virgin until her fourth day as a White House Intern working in the Press Office, but she never for a moment believed that her affair would be anything more than a secret affair. She also knew JRK and his staff well enough that she never felt in any danger of repercussions if she decided to tell the President "No." She knew that JFK had a soft heart and never fired any of his loyal staff. And he certainly wouldn't have attempted to destroy any of their reputations. He was in many ways a big, fun loving kid and he loved being with Mimi because she made him feel like a schoolboy again.
Mimi had "White House Fever" like so many others who work there, but she at least knew it and was proud to be so close to history. Her observations about Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis were something only the person sleeping in the President's bed at the time could have been privy to knowing. The night before Khrushchev's acceptance of JFK's peace proposal, while Mimi slept in his White House bed, "He unwound that night watching 'Roman Holiday' with Dave Powers."
The affair was still going strong when Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Mimi saw the President at the Carlyle Hotel in NYC just before he left for Dallas. She had been invited to travel along with the large Presidential entourage, but that idea was cancelled when Jackie decided to accompany her husband to Dallas on that fateful day. Not being in Dallas was definitely a blessing for Mimi because the last words JFK spoke to her at the Carlyle Hotel were: "I wish you were coming with me to Texas....I'll call you when I get back." This book is almost impossible to put down once started. It paints some wonderful portraits of life in the 1950s and 1960s, of WASP life at the time and the world inside the Kennedy White House. It really won't shock many readers coming at this late date when JFK's sexual adventures are well known. And it includes a lot of great stuff about the hidden, secret personality of JFK.
This is one of the best reads to be published so far this year. And it won't cause JFK's fans to lose their respect for President Kennedy. But it will be sad for the reader when their insider's peek of Camelot ends after less than 195 pages, but the most interesting material ended in Dallas. What follows the President's assassination is the story of how the events affected Mimi's own life. The reader will feel like they were, as Walter Cronkite used to say at the end of his popular television drama series about historical events: "What sort of a day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times...and You Were There!"
But the reader of this tome will wish the book were longer especially with regards to the details and observations about Mimi's time in the White House and with JFK at various other locations.
This is one of the most readable books ever published. It's a page-turner filled with honest and riveting reporting of an affair that a nineteen-year old high school student had with the most powerful man in the world--JFK. As one of the author's friends stated after hearing about the games Mimi and JFK played with the rubber duckies he kept in his bathtub, Mimi "didn't have an affair with the President--she had a play date."
As an aside, the books content pretty much lets Bill Clinton off the hook for his trysts with his "Intern in the Blue Dress." Clinton's mistake was that he got terrible advice and tried to stonewall the rumors about his intern. He lied to his cabinet and had them lie for him and then he, himself, lied in court. Kennedy probably wouldn't have lied, he would simply have smiled, winked and laughed the rumors away. And his Senate and White House staff wasn't trying to stop Kennedy's affairs or "bimbo eruptions" as they were nicked named in Clinton's time; they were enabling them while keeping them hidden and protecting their boss.
The author of this memoir about her 18-month affair was a preppy who may have been naive and a virgin until her fourth day as a White House Intern working in the Press Office, but she never for a moment believed that her affair would be anything more than a secret affair. She also knew JRK and his staff well enough that she never felt in any danger of repercussions if she decided to tell the President "No." She knew that JFK had a soft heart and never fired any of his loyal staff. And he certainly wouldn't have attempted to destroy any of their reputations. He was in many ways a big, fun loving kid and he loved being with Mimi because she made him feel like a schoolboy again.
Mimi had "White House Fever" like so many others who work there, but she at least knew it and was proud to be so close to history. Her observations about Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis were something only the person sleeping in the President's bed at the time could have been privy to knowing. The night before Khrushchev's acceptance of JFK's peace proposal, while Mimi slept in his White House bed, "He unwound that night watching 'Roman Holiday' with Dave Powers."
The affair was still going strong when Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Mimi saw the President at the Carlyle Hotel in NYC just before he left for Dallas. She had been invited to travel along with the large Presidential entourage, but that idea was cancelled when Jackie decided to accompany her husband to Dallas on that fateful day. Not being in Dallas was definitely a blessing for Mimi because the last words JFK spoke to her at the Carlyle Hotel were: "I wish you were coming with me to Texas....I'll call you when I get back." This book is almost impossible to put down once started. It paints some wonderful portraits of life in the 1950s and 1960s, of WASP life at the time and the world inside the Kennedy White House. It really won't shock many readers coming at this late date when JFK's sexual adventures are well known. And it includes a lot of great stuff about the hidden, secret personality of JFK.
This is one of the best reads to be published so far this year. And it won't cause JFK's fans to lose their respect for President Kennedy. But it will be sad for the reader when their insider's peek of Camelot ends after less than 195 pages, but the most interesting material ended in Dallas. What follows the President's assassination is the story of how the events affected Mimi's own life. The reader will feel like they were, as Walter Cronkite used to say at the end of his popular television drama series about historical events: "What sort of a day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times...and You Were There!"
But the reader of this tome will wish the book were longer especially with regards to the details and observations about Mimi's time in the White House and with JFK at various other locations.
- 3.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaBelieveable And DepressingCalificado en Estados Unidos el 9 de febrero de 2012This book tells the story of Mimi Beardsley Alford, who as a 19 year old White House intern, had a sexual relationship with President Kennedy for an approximate 18 month period from June, 1962 to November, 1963. A relatively short book, it provides information about... Ver másThis book tells the story of Mimi Beardsley Alford, who as a 19 year old White House intern, had a sexual relationship with President Kennedy for an approximate 18 month period from June, 1962 to November, 1963. A relatively short book, it provides information about Alford's family background, her education, her affair with JFK,the fallout that came from keeping the relationship secret and then having it outed 40+ years later.
While the veracity of her claims have come under a lot of scrutiny, I tend to think that she is telling the truth. I also get it in regard to how a young woman can get hoodwinked into a sordid affair with a powerful man.
What I don't get is why this very short book was written. I saw Alford on a 60 minute television interview with Meredith Viera tonight after I finished this book. Truthfully, the interview basically covered the main points covered in the book. While on tv and in this book Alford remembers JFK with fondness, I thought JFK came off badly and at times really quite perverse. It was very obvious that Alford was one of many women that JFK used for sex. Speaking of her personal experiences with the president, Alford was blunt but not overtly graphic. Mostly she talked about the sexual liasons in the White House and on the road, playing what she called the "waiting game" which consisted of being sequestered in a hotel room(to avoid detection) until JFK had time for sex. She also had a pregnancy scare which turned out to be a false alarm, though first friend Dave Powers flew into action and managed to provide her with the phone number of an abortionist. Apparently the realities of her situation didn't shake up Alford enough as the relationship with Kennedy sputtered on for another year.
I guess as a woman in 2012, a lot of Alford's youthful reasoning regarding this relationship when it was going on sounds ludicrous. However, if you put it into perspective of the way a young woman might have thought in 1963 it probably seems more plausible. That Alford appears to have been extremely naive adds to that credibility. When all this was going on, she appears to have given little thought to the entire thing except to maintain the veil of secrecy that was in place to protect Kennedy. The best way I can describe the whole thing is that Mimi was extremely naive and was victimized on a lot of levels.
Interestingly enough, while all of this was going on it was an open secret to employees of the White House and the press who well aware of the president's activities. Kennedy wasn't concerned with subtlety on most levels and was unbelievably arrogant as many people in a position of power can be.
Does Kennedy's legend take another blow with this book? Probably not. This sort of thing has been out in print for years, but it seems like this is just another dent in his armor. He comes across even creepier than I imagined, but that's just my opinion.
In the end, I didn't dislike this book but it left me feeling bad that her youthful errors in judgement had long lasting and unhappy ramifications that haunted her for so much of her adult life. It also left me with a lot of questions that Alford concedes she cannot answer because she never thought about them at the time.
In the end, reading this book will get people talking and may alter the public perception of what kind of person JFK was.
This book tells the story of Mimi Beardsley Alford, who as a 19 year old White House intern, had a sexual relationship with President Kennedy for an approximate 18 month period from June, 1962 to November, 1963. A relatively short book, it provides information about Alford's family background, her education, her affair with JFK,the fallout that came from keeping the relationship secret and then having it outed 40+ years later.
While the veracity of her claims have come under a lot of scrutiny, I tend to think that she is telling the truth. I also get it in regard to how a young woman can get hoodwinked into a sordid affair with a powerful man.
What I don't get is why this very short book was written. I saw Alford on a 60 minute television interview with Meredith Viera tonight after I finished this book. Truthfully, the interview basically covered the main points covered in the book. While on tv and in this book Alford remembers JFK with fondness, I thought JFK came off badly and at times really quite perverse. It was very obvious that Alford was one of many women that JFK used for sex. Speaking of her personal experiences with the president, Alford was blunt but not overtly graphic. Mostly she talked about the sexual liasons in the White House and on the road, playing what she called the "waiting game" which consisted of being sequestered in a hotel room(to avoid detection) until JFK had time for sex. She also had a pregnancy scare which turned out to be a false alarm, though first friend Dave Powers flew into action and managed to provide her with the phone number of an abortionist. Apparently the realities of her situation didn't shake up Alford enough as the relationship with Kennedy sputtered on for another year.
I guess as a woman in 2012, a lot of Alford's youthful reasoning regarding this relationship when it was going on sounds ludicrous. However, if you put it into perspective of the way a young woman might have thought in 1963 it probably seems more plausible. That Alford appears to have been extremely naive adds to that credibility. When all this was going on, she appears to have given little thought to the entire thing except to maintain the veil of secrecy that was in place to protect Kennedy. The best way I can describe the whole thing is that Mimi was extremely naive and was victimized on a lot of levels.
Interestingly enough, while all of this was going on it was an open secret to employees of the White House and the press who well aware of the president's activities. Kennedy wasn't concerned with subtlety on most levels and was unbelievably arrogant as many people in a position of power can be.
Does Kennedy's legend take another blow with this book? Probably not. This sort of thing has been out in print for years, but it seems like this is just another dent in his armor. He comes across even creepier than I imagined, but that's just my opinion.
In the end, I didn't dislike this book but it left me feeling bad that her youthful errors in judgement had long lasting and unhappy ramifications that haunted her for so much of her adult life. It also left me with a lot of questions that Alford concedes she cannot answer because she never thought about them at the time.
In the end, reading this book will get people talking and may alter the public perception of what kind of person JFK was.
- 5.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaWhat a storyCalificado en Estados Unidos el 20 de noviembre de 2024Mimi did a great job painting the picture of her life as a young person working at the White House. The book was easily digestible and a quick read. Told the story of her secret love affair with JFK while trying to navigate life and figuring out what to do next.
Mimi did a great job painting the picture of her life as a young person working at the White House. The book was easily digestible and a quick read. Told the story of her secret love affair with JFK while trying to navigate life and figuring out what to do next.
- 4.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaHonest and forthright story involving J.F.K. is a real page-turnerCalificado en Estados Unidos el 23 de abril de 2024Most folks are aware of the nature of J.F. Kennedy and his "philandering" personna reputation, and this tell-all tale of a young woman's involvement with the man is very revealing as to the detailed nature of the mechanism by which the former president of the... Ver másMost folks are aware of the nature of J.F. Kennedy and his "philandering" personna reputation, and this tell-all tale of a young woman's involvement with the man is very revealing as to the detailed nature of the mechanism by which the former president of the U.S. actually achieved that reputation. The author waited a very long time to make this detailed information public in this book, for her own reasons which respected the private lives of Kennedy and his loved ones to a great extent, but ultimately decided to relate for historical accuracy and to help her quality of life improve with an honesty that is bravely behind the words of her story. Entirely believable, the tale indicates a rather ruthless utilization of the massive power embodied by the president to pretty much just "take" what he wanted when he wanted it regarding sexual conquests of the fairer sex. For sure, most readers will interpret the nature of the original conquest to fall into the category of rape perpetrated on an innocent and unsuspecting young woman of no experience whatsoever in affairs of the heart (or body), however the author quickly recovers her dignity by belittling the gravity of the event and granting veritable absolution of illicit behavior by the president by her failure to respond in a manner even remotely recognizable as having been abused or raped in any way. So, a compliant victim caught up in the utter incredulity of the moment is suddenly a willing character in an ongoing drama that gathers momentum instigated by the designs of the aggressor becomes a way of life for a considerable period of time, repeated often enough to characterize the relationship inevitably as an affair of the heart.
I enjoyed the honesty and the unusual story presented in this book, and found it to be completely credible in every way. Mimi was indeed a "pawn" in the story, but albeit a willing one, manipulated by the prurient behavior of a man who eschewed monogamy to the preferred lifestyle of a sexual predator taking whatever he desired at any time he desired it, assisted by a cadre of employees knowledgeable of the nature of the man. His behavior characterized a style of sexual predator that has a gentler manner and still manages to thwart upstanding values of acceptable behavior for a man of integrity and honor. It does reduce his greatness in my opinion, but inevitably his victim at least in this case, Mimi, did not come out of her relationship untouched by the nature of the affair, for she lived in a sort of quiet denial of her place in the affair, and suffered a uniquely different kind of self-ostracization from close friends and relatives, causing a perceived loss of "fullness" that an honest and open life can lead to in normal circumstances. Even her eventual marriage was a casualty of the affair, but following her honest presentation of this detailed history eventually provided her with a compassionate and accepting partner with whom she finally secured a peaceful and happy relationship for her later years. It's a kind of sad story, really, where an innocent girl is caught up in a secretive drama that affects the vast majority of her life following the experience, with the effect of causing substantial pain and suffering in ways never anticipated at the time of her participation in the affair. One can only feel for the difficulty that Mimi experienced in her life because of her time with Kennedy, and come away with an empathy for her situation that is reserved for friends in our own lives.
Most folks are aware of the nature of J.F. Kennedy and his "philandering" personna reputation, and this tell-all tale of a young woman's involvement with the man is very revealing as to the detailed nature of the mechanism by which the former president of the U.S. actually achieved that reputation. The author waited a very long time to make this detailed information public in this book, for her own reasons which respected the private lives of Kennedy and his loved ones to a great extent, but ultimately decided to relate for historical accuracy and to help her quality of life improve with an honesty that is bravely behind the words of her story. Entirely believable, the tale indicates a rather ruthless utilization of the massive power embodied by the president to pretty much just "take" what he wanted when he wanted it regarding sexual conquests of the fairer sex. For sure, most readers will interpret the nature of the original conquest to fall into the category of rape perpetrated on an innocent and unsuspecting young woman of no experience whatsoever in affairs of the heart (or body), however the author quickly recovers her dignity by belittling the gravity of the event and granting veritable absolution of illicit behavior by the president by her failure to respond in a manner even remotely recognizable as having been abused or raped in any way. So, a compliant victim caught up in the utter incredulity of the moment is suddenly a willing character in an ongoing drama that gathers momentum instigated by the designs of the aggressor becomes a way of life for a considerable period of time, repeated often enough to characterize the relationship inevitably as an affair of the heart.
I enjoyed the honesty and the unusual story presented in this book, and found it to be completely credible in every way. Mimi was indeed a "pawn" in the story, but albeit a willing one, manipulated by the prurient behavior of a man who eschewed monogamy to the preferred lifestyle of a sexual predator taking whatever he desired at any time he desired it, assisted by a cadre of employees knowledgeable of the nature of the man. His behavior characterized a style of sexual predator that has a gentler manner and still manages to thwart upstanding values of acceptable behavior for a man of integrity and honor. It does reduce his greatness in my opinion, but inevitably his victim at least in this case, Mimi, did not come out of her relationship untouched by the nature of the affair, for she lived in a sort of quiet denial of her place in the affair, and suffered a uniquely different kind of self-ostracization from close friends and relatives, causing a perceived loss of "fullness" that an honest and open life can lead to in normal circumstances. Even her eventual marriage was a casualty of the affair, but following her honest presentation of this detailed history eventually provided her with a compassionate and accepting partner with whom she finally secured a peaceful and happy relationship for her later years. It's a kind of sad story, really, where an innocent girl is caught up in a secretive drama that affects the vast majority of her life following the experience, with the effect of causing substantial pain and suffering in ways never anticipated at the time of her participation in the affair. One can only feel for the difficulty that Mimi experienced in her life because of her time with Kennedy, and come away with an empathy for her situation that is reserved for friends in our own lives.
- 5.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaGreat read !Calificado en Estados Unidos el 1 de diciembre de 2024I didn't really know what to expect When I purchase this book But I was pleasantly surprised. Mimi is brutally honest About her own feelings. I'm glad she didn't apologize or repent.
I didn't really know what to expect When I purchase this book But I was pleasantly surprised. Mimi is brutally honest About her own feelings. I'm glad she didn't apologize or repent.
- 5.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaA Refreshingly Honest Look At A Commendable and Courageous Human BeingCalificado en Estados Unidos el 15 de febrero de 2012This is a compelling read, by a woman who is almost painfully honest (as well as extraordinarily courageous). As many previous commenters have observed, it is difficult to put the book down once you have embarked on the author's journey. And it is so well written that... Ver másThis is a compelling read, by a woman who is almost painfully honest (as well as extraordinarily courageous). As many previous commenters have observed, it is difficult to put the book down once you have embarked on the author's journey. And it is so well written that you feel that you are making the journey with her. At no point is there even a hint of self pity, nor any effort at self aggrandizement. It is a poignant study of a woman's growth.
One aspect of the book that I found interesting, if not somewhat perplexing, is the absence of any rancor in Mrs. Alford's treatment of President Kennedy, even though his behavior was much more than his customary sexual recklessness - it was despicable. Indeed, even in today's sexual-harrassment-in-the-work-place context, this is a behavioral bridge too far; it is somewhere between child molesting and rape on the president's part. Mrs. Alford, then Ms. Beardsley, was a 19-year old virgin in an era when virginity had a bit more currency than it does today. This episode was nothing like the Clinton/Lewinsky imbroglio; by 1996 we were firmly ensconced in the sex-drugs-rock-and-roll era and in the hold of feminism and female liberation. As a consequence, a 19-year old virgin was a rarity, and Monica Lewinsky couldn't even see her virginity in her rear view mirror by the time Clinton defiled the Oval Office with his antics (which, of course, is no excuse for his behavior).
Mrs. Alford was of different stock in a different era. Yet she appears to harbor no ill will for what was done to her by the world's most powerful man. Indeed, to this day she speaks of him with a certain tenderness. In reading the book, particularly those portions making reference to Kennedy, I almost got the impression that the tenderness was directed to her lost innocence, and not so much to the man who deprived her of it.
We all knew of Kennedy's philandering - indeed, I worked at a low level government position in Washington during his administration, and even then, with a less omnipresent and intrusive media, news of his wandering eye was abroad in the city (as well as the rest of the country). But no one even imagined that he would stoop to defile a 19-year old intern.
Mrs. Alford has been criticized for coming out with her story. Her critics are a bunch of mindless creeps. She didn't just "come out" - she was outed by first a noted historian and then a tabloid. Her response, in the form of this book, is not just understandable, but almost necessary. For unkind and unfair Kennedy-legacy protectors like Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg isn't character part of one's legacy?? Mrs. Alford's book is not a kiss and tell, nor is it a mere confessional. It is more like a jail break, a liberating experience. She had to let go of Kennedy to find herself, and, in this book, she did it. Congratulations, Mrs. Alford, on a courageous life and an equally courageous and enjoyable effort at sharing it with us.
This is a compelling read, by a woman who is almost painfully honest (as well as extraordinarily courageous). As many previous commenters have observed, it is difficult to put the book down once you have embarked on the author's journey. And it is so well written that you feel that you are making the journey with her. At no point is there even a hint of self pity, nor any effort at self aggrandizement. It is a poignant study of a woman's growth.
One aspect of the book that I found interesting, if not somewhat perplexing, is the absence of any rancor in Mrs. Alford's treatment of President Kennedy, even though his behavior was much more than his customary sexual recklessness - it was despicable. Indeed, even in today's sexual-harrassment-in-the-work-place context, this is a behavioral bridge too far; it is somewhere between child molesting and rape on the president's part. Mrs. Alford, then Ms. Beardsley, was a 19-year old virgin in an era when virginity had a bit more currency than it does today. This episode was nothing like the Clinton/Lewinsky imbroglio; by 1996 we were firmly ensconced in the sex-drugs-rock-and-roll era and in the hold of feminism and female liberation. As a consequence, a 19-year old virgin was a rarity, and Monica Lewinsky couldn't even see her virginity in her rear view mirror by the time Clinton defiled the Oval Office with his antics (which, of course, is no excuse for his behavior).
Mrs. Alford was of different stock in a different era. Yet she appears to harbor no ill will for what was done to her by the world's most powerful man. Indeed, to this day she speaks of him with a certain tenderness. In reading the book, particularly those portions making reference to Kennedy, I almost got the impression that the tenderness was directed to her lost innocence, and not so much to the man who deprived her of it.
We all knew of Kennedy's philandering - indeed, I worked at a low level government position in Washington during his administration, and even then, with a less omnipresent and intrusive media, news of his wandering eye was abroad in the city (as well as the rest of the country). But no one even imagined that he would stoop to defile a 19-year old intern.
Mrs. Alford has been criticized for coming out with her story. Her critics are a bunch of mindless creeps. She didn't just "come out" - she was outed by first a noted historian and then a tabloid. Her response, in the form of this book, is not just understandable, but almost necessary. For unkind and unfair Kennedy-legacy protectors like Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg isn't character part of one's legacy?? Mrs. Alford's book is not a kiss and tell, nor is it a mere confessional. It is more like a jail break, a liberating experience. She had to let go of Kennedy to find herself, and, in this book, she did it. Congratulations, Mrs. Alford, on a courageous life and an equally courageous and enjoyable effort at sharing it with us.
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Alison5.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaA Slice of Camelot Truth...Calificado en Reino Unido el 10 de marzo de 2023I think everyone should read this book. It's dignified and non-judgmental but boy does it give you a peeled back look into Camelot. It will definitely, definitely change you opinion of JFK. It is told completely in the author's own words, without the sensationalism...Ver másI think everyone should read this book. It's dignified and non-judgmental but boy does it give you a peeled back look into Camelot. It will definitely, definitely change you opinion of JFK. It is told completely in the author's own words, without the sensationalism garnered to every story these days. You get an honest look at what political scandal is like from the inside. The author also has a lot of good advice, from a life lived, and I think I enjoyed her wisdom at the end the best. This book is short - I read it in two days - it's worth the time.I think everyone should read this book. It's dignified and non-judgmental but boy does it give you a peeled back look into Camelot. It will definitely, definitely change you opinion of JFK. It is told completely in the author's own words, without the sensationalism garnered to every story these days. You get an honest look at what political scandal is like from the inside. The author also has a lot of good advice, from a life lived, and I think I enjoyed her wisdom at the end the best. This book is short - I read it in two days - it's worth the time.
- Amazon Customer5.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaA wonderful account of the goings on in the white house ...Calificado en Canadá el 1 de junio de 2018A wonderful account of the goings on in the white house at the time of John Kennedy's presidency. At the time it was interesting that Mimi Alford was one of the very few people that had direct access to the President. I am happy that she never considered herself an...Ver másA wonderful account of the goings on in the white house at the time of John Kennedy's presidency. At the time it was interesting that Mimi Alford was one of the very few people that had direct access to the President. I am happy that she never considered herself an victim.A wonderful account of the goings on in the white house at the
time of John Kennedy's presidency. At the time it was interesting
that Mimi Alford was one of the very few people that had direct
access to the President. I am happy that she never considered
herself an victim.
- Amazon Customer4.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaFour StarsCalificado en India el 18 de mayo de 2017As expectedAs expected
- Colonia Agrippina5.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaSpannendes Buch!Calificado en Alemania el 2 de mayo de 2017Die Erzählung einer blutjungen Praktikantin im weißen Haus und ihre imtime Beziehung zum Präsidenten.Interessante und bewegende Einblicke in das Lebens Kennedys.Für alle, die hinter die Fassade von JFK blicken wollen zu empfehlen.Die Erzählung einer blutjungen Praktikantin im weißen Haus und ihre imtime Beziehung zum Präsidenten.Interessante und bewegende Einblicke in das Lebens Kennedys.Für alle, die hinter die Fassade von JFK blicken wollen zu empfehlen.
- thierryla5.0 de 5 estrellasCompra verificadaShockCalificado en Japón el 8 de marzo de 2012I have not read anything that disturbed me on such a fundamental level perhaps ever. It is a very interesting read indeed.I have not read anything that disturbed me on such a fundamental level perhaps ever. It is a very interesting read indeed.
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