Once Upon A Secret: My Affair With President John F. Kennedy And Its Aftermath (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
This memoir was written by a former white house intern that had an eighteenth month affair with President John F. Kennedy. This could have easily been a tell-all, inside look, exploiting her intimate relationship and insider knowledge. But it's not. Instead, the author only choose to come forward after decades of silence, and only because the media exposed her; "I kept this secret with near religious discipline for more than forty years, confiding only in a handful of people, including my first husband. I never told my parents, or my children. I assumed it would stay my secret until I died" (3). Mimi arrived at the White House as an innocent and naïve nineteen year old. Only days after arriving, she was invited upstairs, to the private residence of the first family, with several other staff members. President Kennedy offered her a tour. Then he took her into a bedroom and proceeded to initiate sex. "He placed both hands on my shoulders and guided me toward the edge of the bed. I landed on my elbows, frozen halfway between sitting up and lying on my back" (50). Although Mimi argues that it wasn't rape, its undeniable that their was a serious imbalance of power between the two. Additionally, throughout their relationship, they maintained a distance. She only ever called him Mr. President and they never kissed. Although for the most part he was kind towards her, there were definitely moments when he abused the power dynamics, most notably when he requested that she perform oral sex on one of his White House staffers. Also, although I know it was typical of the time period to not discuss sexual matters, it's was remarkable to me that Mimi never confided her relationship while it was in progress with anyone, even her mother, sisters, friends, or even others close to her that worked at the White House. I admit I was skeptical of Mimi's story going in, but I found her honesty, willingness to portray herself in a negative light, and introspective look at her whole life convincing. Disparagingly, she says, "If anything, I'm a footnote to a footnote of America's thirty-fifty president, someone so far off the radar that a diligent biographer couldn't identify me by my full name in his JFK biography" (175). Rather than merely a recounting of the affair, the memoir is instead also an overview of her childhood and marriage. Alford cites her affair with JFK as the undiscussed secret that ultimately started a marriage based on avoidance of any conflict. Yet she doesn't blame JFK or solely her husband's inability to deal with his wife's previous relationship, but instead also acknowledges that she didn't handle the situation as well as she might have. Mimi has had decades to contemplate her relationship with JFK, including what led her to the relationship and the ripple affects it had well after the relationship, and indeed the president's life, had ended. I admired her honest, self-critical approach to telling her story. Although I'm sure the Kennedy family was less than pleased about her memoir, I can respect that she waited decades, until the death of many who would have been hurt by this story, and only came forward after the press exposed her anyway. Oh, come on now. Women do not let their groin area dictate their passion, even if the recipient is the well-born Jack Kennedy. Men are the only species that dumb.Even dumber is our press, who emerged dumb and dumber during the sixties by looking the other way, while fervently wishing they, too, could pop an intern on a daily basis. The only thing tawdry here is that JFK's one o'clock swims were not nude. What's with that? Was Jackie lurking in the White House?Early on JFK warns Mimi to stay away from "that man." That man was Vice President LBJ, who, it can be argued, invented vice. Too bad JFK wasn't talking about himself. Enough said.
What do You think about Once Upon A Secret: My Affair With President John F. Kennedy And Its Aftermath (2012)?
Interesting story! Quick read. Felt a little sad at times for the author.
—Joly
Ok Interesting subject matter JFK was such a scoundrel
—Percous
