About this item
One of People's Top Ten Books of 2015 "[Larson] succeeds in providing a well-rounded portrait of a woman who, until now, has never been viewed in full. " - Boston Globe ? "A biography that chronicles her life with fresh details . . . By making Rosemary the central character, [Larson] has produced a valuable account of a mental health tragedy and an influential family's belated efforts to make amends. " - New York Times Book Review Joe 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. "The forgotten Kennedy is forgotten no longer. Rosemary is a rare thing, a book about the Kennedys that has something new to say. " - Laurence Leamer, author of The Kennedy Women "Heartbreaking. " - Wall Street Journal This item is Non-Returnable.
About the Author
Kate Clifford Larson is a bestselling author of critically acclaimed and award winning biographies including: Walk With Me: A Biography of Fannie Lou Hamer, which tells the remarkable story of one of America's most important civil rights leaders of the 20th century; Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter; and Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. A specialist in 19th and 20th century U.S. Women's and African American History, Larson is also an award-winning consultant whose work includes feature film scripts - most recently Focus Features' Harriet starring Cynthia Erivo - documentaries, museum exhibits, and public history initiatives including three Harriet Tubman state and national historical parks, and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway and All-American Road. She is frequently interviewed for national and international radio programs and media outlets and has appeared on national and international television broadcasts including BBC, PBS, and C-Span, cable networks, CBS Sunday Morning, and WGBH. Larson is currently a Brandeis Women's Studies Research Center Visiting Scholar. With two degrees from Simmons University, an MBA from Northeastern University, and a Doctorate in American History from the University of New Hampshire, Larson has nurtured a passion for researching and writing about American women's lives. She relishes the challenges of teasing out life stories from voices that have long been silenced. "I feel strongly that we must reconnect with the women who helped build and shape this country," Larson recently wrote, "and by putting women at the center of the story, the world looks very different - more complex, interesting, and vibrant." See the Greater Boston show featuring Adam Reilly's interview with Larson on WGBH https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=gAjyoxCyhKASee the CBS Sunday Morning Show featuring Larson talking about Harriet Tubman! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tracing-the-remarkable-lifes-path-of-harriet-tubman/. Watch Kate Clifford Larson's interview about Rosemary Kennedy with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Eileen McNamara at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Forum on C-Span Book TV: http://www.c-span.org/video/? 328843-1/kate-clifford-larson-rosemary. And check out her website at www.katecliffordlarson.com for more information about her books, awards, reviews, and upcoming events, and her special website dedicated to Harriet Tubman at www.harriettubmanbiography.com Author photos by (c) Susan Wilson www.susanwilsonphoto.com
