Review: The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy by Jean Kennedy Smith

Title: The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy

Author: Jean Kennedy Smith

Published: December 2018, Harper Perennial

Format: Paperback, 272 pages

Source: Personal copy

Summary: 

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, and illustrated with dozens of family pictures, 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.”

My thoughts: If you know anything about me, you know I have a deep fascination with all things Kennedy. I was ecstatic when I came across this book at the bookstore one day while browsing the nonfiction section. I am always looking for new books on the Kennedy clan to add to my Kennedy collection – and while I have not read all the books I own, I am determined to read them one day.

I decided to pick this one up and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. It isn’t a tell-all about the family, but rather a look back about what her family meant to her and how important family life was to her parents. It contains vignettes of growing up in her large family and is filled with pictures. I loved getting to live in Jean’s life as a Kennedy kid – she made it seemed like she had such a regular childhood and perhaps to her, that’s the way it felt, but that was because her parents worked hard to make it that way. 

I loved that she went through the whole family in this small book – her grandparents, her parents and each of her siblings – and while she focused on some more than others, I felt like I got to know them all a little better and now I am even more determined to start digging into my other books – some that are quite meatier and denser than this one, for sure. But this was a great one to start with and I enjoyed every bit that she wrote. 

This family definitely lived its life in the spotlight, but I think credit goes the Joe and Rose Kennedy for giving the Kennedy children a childhood they truly deserved and this book shows that. The world has changed, life has changed, but values are still values and one thing that is quite evident is that Joe and Rose Kennedy felt it important to instill certain values in their children and they did it their own way. 

I recommend this book not only to all Kennedy fans, but also to anyone raising a family today. It’s a quick read that really provides a lot of food for thought.