Once Upon a Time : The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

My sister-in-law, a voracious reader and, more importantly, someone with fabulous taste in books, told me I had to read this. I hopped right on it, and my God, I ate up every detail of this fascinating woman's life. Sure, yes, she was the wife of John F. Kennedy Jr., and that is intriguing. Still, there was so much more to this incredibly empathetic, funny, vivacious human that is so beautifully depicted in this book. Aside from getting to know Caroline as one of three daughters, whose Italian heritage and down-to-earth upbringing surprised me, there was the incredible lens of misogyny and hatred through which people viewed Caroline after she married JFK Jr. I realized that this is such a cultural norm for many of us because this is what we grew up being spoon-fed. I realized how I unknowingly buy into that narrative even if I know nothing about the person. Although her romance with John seems fated and true, her life becomes much smaller and sadder once she is engaged and married to him. Again and again, we are shown it is time to take a hard look at what we prize as a society, why we are obsessed with celebrities and dynasties, and what that costs the individuals within these clans. It is titillating and a must-read!