![]() ![]() She suffered terrible emotional trauma when Rose and Joe Kennedy began sending her away to a series of boarding schools from the age of eleven. Rosemary’s parents’ response to her intellectual disabilities created a tension in the family that progressively worsened as she aged into adulthood. What were some of the more difficult aspects of her life? ![]() She was strikingly beautiful, and very trusting, so they feared for her safety. Her preference for a social life over school worried her parents, though. She was a debutante and was presented to the king and queen of England when her father was ambassador. Several of her letters, written during her teen years, reveal a young girl delighting in her social life - being with her girlfriends, getting her hair and nails done, relishing new clothes, going to the movies, and enjoying the attention of boys. Rosemary was, in many ways, an enchanting, typical girl of her time. What are some of your favorite stories from Rosemary’s life? The actions and decisions made by them take on a different meaning when you look at them through Rosemary’s eyes. It is clear, however, that the very existence of Rosemary deeply and profoundly affected the lives of all the Kennedys. Their attempts to raise Rosemary to “fit in” with the rest of her more capable siblings is both tragic and inspiring. By placing her at the center of the narrative, I was able to see the family in a different light – particularly her parents, Rose and Joe. This is the first full length biography that puts Rosemary – an intellectually disabled child in a household of overachievers - at the core of that incredible family story. Rosemary’s life has always been a small side story to the larger drama of the Kennedy family in the scores of books written about them. Why another Kennedy book? What’s new in Rosemary, the Hidden Kennedy Daughter and what makes your book stand out from the crowd? A Conversation with the author Kate Clifford Larson ![]()
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