Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot

Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot by Randy J. Taraborelli

Here's the thing I've learned about Randy J. Taraborelli after reading this title as well as his recent biography of Marilyn Monroe (see below to find out why I just had to read another biography written by this author)--he tells a good story. His biographies read like novels. This was another long biography--justifiably so considering it covers the lives of three women and their large, news-making families--that reads very quickly and keeps an exciting pace. The way Taraborelli is able to do this is a little suspect, though. I realized that a large portion of the biography includes dialogue and exact quotes, not only from news articles (understandable), but from so-called private conversations. I know the exact wording doesn't matter so much so the poetic license he took is probably ok since it makes the story more interesting. At any rate, all journalism fact-checking aside, this was another wonderful biography about three incredibly interesting women.

What I found most interesting about this book was the content on Joan. Much has been written about Jackie and, to a lesser degree, Ethel because theirs are the most outright tragic stories with the assassinations of their husbands. Joan, however, suffered quietly with an unfaithful husband and a constant fear that she might lose him or someone else close any day. Her emotional struggles are painful to read about, because she comes across as the most likeable Kennedy wife. I'm eager to read Ted Kennedy's biography now to see what he writes about his first wife. Also interesting in this book is the counter-assertion to Taraborreli's more recent Monroe biography that JFK and Marilyn had an affair that was much more serious and lasted for much longer than just one night. Also, Taraborelli casually brushes off the rumors about Jackie and Bobby's alleged affair. What really happened in the lives of the Kennedys in the 60s? At this point, no one will ever really know. But it's interesting to read about what we do know, just the same.