JFK Jr: an intimate oral biography

John Kennedy Jr. was always in the spotlight, but separating the man from the myth is a hard task. Oral biographies are strange literary creatures, prone to selective memory on the part of the interviewees and careful editing from the compilers. When the subject died young and tragically, these problems are compounded. So one might approach this account with a certain wariness, especially as Terenzio had a lengthy professional relationship with Kennedy and has already written a book about him,Fairy Tale Interrupted. It is not clear that there is anything meaningful to add, although Terenzio andPeople magazine editor at large McNeil have rounded up scores of people who knew Kennedy in some way, from his childhood growing up in the White House as the president's toddler son to his death in an airplane crash in 1999 at the age of 39. Much of his life was defined by the famous photograph of him saluting the flag-draped coffin of his father. He could never escape his name and legacy, although he often seemed unsure about whether he wanted to live a private life or go into the family business of politics. Several contributors say that Kennedy showed "promise," but this is only speculation. The overall tone is one of nostalgia, and the picture of Kennedy that emerges is more like a cardboard cutout than a real person. It is difficult to understand the purpose of this rehash of familiar material. Will appeal to those with a special interest in the Kennedy clan, but other readers might give it a miss. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

This engaging, sincere, and heartbreaking oral biography of John F. Kennedy Jr. (1960–99) was published on the 25th anniversary of the deaths of JFK Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette, and her sister Lauren when the plane he was piloting crashed. His former executive assistant Terenzio (Fairy Tale Interrupted) and McNeil (editor-at-large, People) have assembled an affectionate biography told by many people closest to him: his family, friends, coworkers, media personalities, and lots of former girlfriends. Their stories paint a picture of who he really was. In the public eye since his birth, he carried his father's name but had few memories of him since he was three days shy of his third birthday when his father was assassinated. He graduated from law school and worked at the Manhattan District Attorney's office from 1989 to 1993. In 1995, he and Michael Berman founded the political magazine George. He married Bessette in a top-secret ceremony in 1996, and the book shows their union was rocky. VERDICT While several bios about Kennedy are on the market, this collection of eyewitness tales feels fresh and heartfelt.—Kevin Howell