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    The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy
    The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy
    The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy
    Audiobook5 hours

    The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy

    Written by Jean Kennedy Smith

    Narrated by Lorna Raver Raver

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    In this evocative and affectionate memoir, Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving child of Joe and Rose Kennedy, offers an intimate and illuminating look at a time long ago when she and her siblings, guided by their parents, laughed and learned a great deal under one roof.

    Prompted by interesting tidbits in the newspaper, Rose and Joe Kennedy would pose questions to their nine children at the dinner table. ""Where could Amelia Earhart have gone?"" ""How would you address this horrible drought?"" ""What would you do about the troop movements in Europe?"" It was a nightly custom that helped shape the Kennedys into who they would become.

    Before Joe and Rose’s children emerged as leaders on the world stage, they were a loving circle of brothers and sisters who played football, swam, read, and pursued their interests. They were children inspired by parents who instilled in them a strong work ethic, deep love of country, and intense appreciation for the sacrifices their ancestors made to come to America.""No whining in this house!"" was their father’s regular refrain. It was his way of reminding them not to complain, to be grateful for what they had, and to give back.

    In her remarkable memoir, Kennedy Smith—the last surviving sibling—revisits this singular time in their lives. Filled with fascinating anecdotes and vignettes, The Nine of Us vividly depicts this large, close-knit family during a different time in American history. Kennedy Smith offers indelible, elegantly rendered portraits of her larger-than-life siblings and her parents. ""They knew how to cure our hurts, bind our wounds, listen to our woes, and help us enjoy life,"" she writes. ""We were lucky children indeed.""

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateOct 25, 2016
    ISBN9780062562975
    Author

    Jean Kennedy Smith

    Jean Kennedy Smith  is the former United States Ambassador to Ireland and founder of VSA, an international organization that provides arts and education opportunities for people with disabilities and increases access to the arts for all. Smith was named an honorary citizen of Ireland by Irish President Mary McAleese for her contribution to the Irish peace process, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in recognition of her service to people with disabilities. The eighth of nine children born to Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy and Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., Smith is a mother of four and the widow of the late Stephen Smith. She lives in New York.

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    Reviews for The Nine of Us

    4/5

    37 ratings6 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I always enjoyed Kennedy’s history and will continue to read
    • 3/5
      I've always thought that reading autobiographies or memoirs by people with first-hand knowledge of the subject is better than trusting professional biographers, but this account of the Kennedy family by Jean Kennedy Smith reads more like fiction - like a fairytale! - than fact. I realise that Jean was the last living Kennedy sibling - she died this year - when she was writing about growing up with her parents and brothers and sisters, and would naturally choose the good memories over the bad (although the last chapter reads like an obituary column), but come on! Joe and Rose never argued and Rose was a devoted mother? We all know about her filing card system, but even Jean acknowledges the team of Irish nannies who 'took charge of diaper changing, bottle washing, pram pushing, ear scrubbing and meal planning'. And Jack famously complained that his mother never held him as a child. The truth will out, however, and Jean also paints a picture of a mother who made siblings correct each other's behaviour ('Bobby, look at Jean. Perhaps you could remind her very nicely that lipstick does not go all over the face') and a father who ordered his own favourite meal - roast beef and Yorkshires - for the whole family on the rare occasion they went out for a meal.I'm sure the Kennedys loved each other, but we all know far too much about them now for this cute little collection of anecdotes to tell us anything new. Also, there isn't enough about Jack!
    • 5/5
      This was a perfectly delightful read. As a descendant of one of the most famous American families, the author tells us what it was like to grow up in it. Don't expect any scandalous revelations here. It's a fluff piece that works brilliantly, evoking a time long gone by. Jean Kennedy Smith speaks lovingly about her parents and siblings, and details her formative relationships with each one. It's a breezy summery book, fascinating for any fan of the Kennedy family.
    • 2/5
      There's a sucker born every minute, and when it comes to the Kennedy family, that sucker is me. This isn't a bad book, it wafts over details of a much more interesting life than the author would have you believe. It's the sort of book a grandmother would write for her grandchildren: sunshine, flowers, and childhood perfection. I can't exactly fault it for that, and I wasn't really looking for salacious details, but a more completely picture would have been much more interesting.
    • 4/5
      The Nine of Us: Growing up KennedyJean Kennedy SmithMy Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️Publisher Harper CollinsPublish DateOctober 25, 2016I wish Jean Kennedy Smith had written this book 20 years ago, when I was raising my son. Nine of Us: Growing up Kennedy is like nothing I've read about the Kennedy family before. And yet exactly like I would've expected. Each chapter contains immensely valuable parenting words of wisdom from Joe or Rose Kennedy. This just could be the best guide for raising smart, thankful and devoted kids!Jane Kennedy Smith grew up thinking her childhood was unexceptional. Her brothers and sisters were all her playmates. They played, and laughed and argued over the last piece of chocolate cake. She had no clue they would turn out the way they did. The family was distinctive perhaps because they were so large, and their parents influence was profound but subtle. As grandchildren of Irish immigrants, Rose and Joe wanted to make sure their children appreciated how much they had to be thankful for. They wanted to make them understand that they had an important obligation to give back. And that the gift of being in this world is a responsibility. The nine children were compelled to do their best and complaining was strictly forbidden. Joe's rule of "No whining in this house" are words that we could all raise our families on today.The book gives us and intimate look into each of the nine siblings. Smith details what each were like, what they liked to do, their special interests and even the times they got into trouble. Can you imagine Teddy sitting in his mom's closet surrounded by her dresses, shoes and hats, for "time out" for breaking a window. Or what about Bobby in a typing class. How fun it sounds to have a grown-up as a Kennedy, with the dinner table as the family hub and discussions of current events as the main course. How fun to have played tennis with Eunice or sailed with Jack or rescued animals with Bobby.Growing up Kennedy is a delightful look into the young lives of the family who, each in their own way, has had a profound impact on this country. The values Rose and Joe instilled and the often unique way in which they instilled them, continues to be relevant. A great read for anyone raising a family today!
    • 5/5
      This tells the true story of how the Kennedy children grew up from someone who lived it. The author also adds in some insights that she gained later in life about different situations. It mainly focuses on the good time the Kennedy children had while growing up and only touches a little on the tragedies that befell the family. However, for anyone interested in the Kennedy family, this is a must read. My only complaint is that it is not longer and seems to come to an end all of a sudden. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.