Author: Kate Clifford Larson
Nominated By : MaryEl Hansen
non fiction
AJoe and Rose Kennedy's strikingly beautiful daughter Rosemary attended
exclusive schools, was presented as a debutante to the queen of England, and
traveled the world with her high-spirited sisters. Yet Rosemary was
intellectually disabled, a secret fiercely guarded by her powerful and
glamorous family.
In Rosemary, Kate Clifford Larson uses newly uncovered sources to bring
Rosemary Kennedy's story to light. Young Rosemary comes alive as a sweet,
lively girl adored by her siblings. But Larson also reveals the often
desperate and duplicitous arrangements the Kennedys made to keep her away
from home as she became increasingly difficult in her early twenties,
culminating in Joe's decision to have Rosemary lobotomized at age
twenty-three and the family's complicity in keeping the secret. Only years
later did the Kennedy siblings begin to understand what had happened to
Rosemary, which inspired them to direct government attention and resources
to the plight of the developmentally and mentally disabled, transforming the
lives of millions. It reveals how far we have come in dealing with mental
disabilities and also provided me with new and interesting information on
the Kennedys.fe.
Review From:
New York Times
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