What do You think about The Importance Of Being Kennedy (2008)?
I am not sure that I like the idea of reading a fictional book, covering such intimate topics, discussing events that actually happened. The Importance of Being Kennedy is a good, well written book; however, I felt that it stepped a bit beyond the point of respectful. Although the Kennedys are an extremely controversial subject in American history, with many debates over what is true, I felt that this novel crossed into disrespectful in regards to the glaring opinions Nora makes on the family. It was interesting for the most part, though a bit slow at times, but it left me with a bit of a sour taste because it was unclear what was reality and what was fictional embellishment.
—Maura Seitz
I was in high school when JFK was president. I loved the Kennedy style; they changed the white house from frumpy and old fashioned to youthful and cosmopolitan. The media gave us lots of stories of the family's outdoor life sylye, I especially loved that the girls joined in the touch football games. With this book a darker side of the family is shown; both parents were totally controlling, Joe prepping the sons for political office and Rose keeping a tight Catholic rein on the girls. The story of Rosemary (or Rose Marie as she's called in the book)is sadder than what we were led to believe. Did they really give her a lobotomy? I know it was considered a proper procedure at the time (gruesomely medieval as it was) but from the fictional nursery maid's viewpoint it was unnecessary. Mother Rose had the media believing that Rosemary was "retarded" from birth, but the picture of her mental state in the book is of a slight learning disability with poor social skills. The descriptions of Bobby and Teddy are very interesting as contrasted to the public perception.
—Ellen
A story narrated from the perspective of an Irish nanny, Nora Brennan, "The Importance of Being Kennedy: A Novel" is a fictitious work based on historic facts.In the beginning, we meet Nora when she is hired as a nanny for the Kennedys of Brookline, Massachusetts, and in the true sense of the word, she becomes the "hand that rocked the cradles." She describes being the mainstay in the nursery, as both Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy went about their business and social activities. She literally reared all nine Kennedy children.Referred to by Nora as "Herself," Rose Kennedy was portrayed as a cold woman with numerous rules and schedules, leaving little time for nurturing or compassion. Her attitudes seemed very rigid and lacking acceptance; she often turned away from those who disappointed her. Mr. Kennedy was depicted as the master mind who planned out the fates of his children and arranged and rearranged events when things went awry.The saddest tales for me were the stories of Rosie, the "slow" child, and Kick (Kathleen), who pursued her love interests despite their acceptability to the family.The parts I enjoyed the most were those that showed Nora's own thoughts and feelings, and ultimately, how she managed to create a life of her own that included marriage, despite being past the usual age for a first marriage.It was difficult to imagine which parts were fictionalized and if any parts of the story, other than what we know factually, bore any resemblance to reality. I did enjoy this glimpse of the early years in the family, before the very public events most of us know. The timeline for the story was from the early 1900s to 1950.There were many details that did not interest me; if eliminated, the book would have been a faster and more captivating read, in my opinion. Therefore, three stars.
—Laurel-Rain
