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Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
The life and legacy of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, wife of John F. Kennedy Jr., are reexamined in this captivating and effervescent biography that is perfect for fans of My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy , What Remains , and Fairy Tale Interrupted .
A quarter of a century after the plane crash that claimed the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn, and sister-in-law Lauren, the magnitude of this tragedy remains fresh. Yet, Carolyn is still an enigmatic figure, a woman whose short life in the spotlight was besieged with misogyny and cruelty.
Amidst today’s cultural reckoning about the way our media treats women, Elizabeth Beller explores the real person behind the tabloid headlines and media frenzy. When she began dating America’s prince, Carolyn was increasingly thrust into an overwhelming spotlight filled with relentless paparazzi who reacted to her reserve with a campaign of harassment and vilification.
To this day, she is still depicted as a privileged princess—icy, vapid, and drug-addicted. She has even been accused of being responsible for their untimely death, allegedly delaying take-off until she finished her pedicure. But now, she is revealed as never before.
A fiercely independent woman devoted to her adopted city and career, Carolyn relied on her impeccable eye and drive to fly up the ranks at Calvin Klein in the glossy, high-stakes fashion world of the 1990s. When Carolyn met her future husband, John was immediately drawn to her strong-willed personality, effortless charm, and high intelligence. Their relationship would change her life and catapult her to dizzying fame, but it was her vibrant life before their marriage and then hidden afterwards, that is truly fascinating.
Based on in-depth research and exclusive interviews with friends, family members, teachers, roommates, and colleagues, this comprehensive biography reveals a multi-faceted woman worthy of our attention regardless of her husband and untimely death.
A quarter of a century after the plane crash that claimed the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn, and sister-in-law Lauren, the magnitude of this tragedy remains fresh. Yet, Carolyn is still an enigmatic figure, a woman whose short life in the spotlight was besieged with misogyny and cruelty.
Amidst today’s cultural reckoning about the way our media treats women, Elizabeth Beller explores the real person behind the tabloid headlines and media frenzy. When she began dating America’s prince, Carolyn was increasingly thrust into an overwhelming spotlight filled with relentless paparazzi who reacted to her reserve with a campaign of harassment and vilification.
To this day, she is still depicted as a privileged princess—icy, vapid, and drug-addicted. She has even been accused of being responsible for their untimely death, allegedly delaying take-off until she finished her pedicure. But now, she is revealed as never before.
A fiercely independent woman devoted to her adopted city and career, Carolyn relied on her impeccable eye and drive to fly up the ranks at Calvin Klein in the glossy, high-stakes fashion world of the 1990s. When Carolyn met her future husband, John was immediately drawn to her strong-willed personality, effortless charm, and high intelligence. Their relationship would change her life and catapult her to dizzying fame, but it was her vibrant life before their marriage and then hidden afterwards, that is truly fascinating.
Based on in-depth research and exclusive interviews with friends, family members, teachers, roommates, and colleagues, this comprehensive biography reveals a multi-faceted woman worthy of our attention regardless of her husband and untimely death.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published May 21, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 7, 2024
A compelling bio that sheds new feminist light on Carolyn, wife of JFK Jr. She was brilliant, beautiful, a fabulous wit, ultra successful in the fashion world, with so much emotional intelligence that everyone wanted to be her friend.
But when she came into John-John's realm and married him in that gorgeous white slip dress designed by friend Narciso Rodriguez, her life changed radically. She could go nowhere without the paparazzi on her heel, which left her stunned and afraid to go out of the house. Reminiscent of the hunting of Princess Diana.
Carolyn had had a bad feeling about her husband's plan to fly her and her sister in his small plane to a family wedding. Had she stuck to her decision not to go, she might still be alive today. Instead, all three died in that horrendous crash into the Atlantic in 1999.
I am still haunted by this mezmerizing, meticulously researched, beautifully written, and ultimately tragic story, and left pondering, "Did they really have to die so young?" Brava, Elizabeth Beller!
Thanks to the author, Gallery Books, and Edelweiss by Above the Treeline for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#onceuponatime
#captivatinglifeofcarolynbessettekennedy
#elizabethbeller
#GalleryBooks #carolynbessettekennedybio
#wifeofjfkjr #kennedyfamily #20thcenturybio #feministbio #bookstagramcommunity
But when she came into John-John's realm and married him in that gorgeous white slip dress designed by friend Narciso Rodriguez, her life changed radically. She could go nowhere without the paparazzi on her heel, which left her stunned and afraid to go out of the house. Reminiscent of the hunting of Princess Diana.
Carolyn had had a bad feeling about her husband's plan to fly her and her sister in his small plane to a family wedding. Had she stuck to her decision not to go, she might still be alive today. Instead, all three died in that horrendous crash into the Atlantic in 1999.
I am still haunted by this mezmerizing, meticulously researched, beautifully written, and ultimately tragic story, and left pondering, "Did they really have to die so young?" Brava, Elizabeth Beller!
Thanks to the author, Gallery Books, and Edelweiss by Above the Treeline for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#onceuponatime
#captivatinglifeofcarolynbessettekennedy
#elizabethbeller
#GalleryBooks #carolynbessettekennedybio
#wifeofjfkjr #kennedyfamily #20thcenturybio #feministbio #bookstagramcommunity
Want to read
January 12, 2024I am going to be soooooo annoying when this comes out
May 23, 2024
This magnificent book by Elizabeth Beller is a state of art biography, an all-encompassing account of the life and career of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Despite some reviewers protesting about the book being a bit too benevolent, I wonder if they had heard an unbiased account until this book arrived? The answer is a resounding NO. All the previous accounts about this extremely accomplished trailblazer woman referred to a soulless mannequin and were surrounded by sexist toxicity. It was about time some writer, and in this case Eizabeth Beller is unrivaled, expounded another different side of this fashion icon, a young woman who had daddy issues and mood swings, she was a perfectionist and she could be stubborn, she became increasingly paranoid due to her harrassment by a voyeuristic press, but guess what? She was actually a nice woman who in the early 90s stumbled upon the beloved John Kennedy Jr and she fell in love with him (not the public persona, his real self). Beller summes it up best: "The assumptions were from the pictures that she was icy, that she was cold. What I quickly learned was that she was warm and effervescent. She was joyful and loved to laugh.” A splendid biography totally worth your time. Highly recommended.
May 28, 2024
This is not a great book - nor even really a good book. It leads with a strange tone that you must already hate CBK and this book is serving to clear her name - not that you might want to read a possibly more accurate biography of a famous woman who died tragically. I wish it had had greater nuance on the person she was - which according to this book seems to be relatively perfect. Bumps in the marriage or deeper issues in her life are smoothed over without further depth or exploration. Not a huge amount of depth or insight across the board.
All that being said, I really did love reading it - it's a great summer read and I loved learning about this tragically iconic woman. I sped through it - just ultimately wish there had been more going on.
All that being said, I really did love reading it - it's a great summer read and I loved learning about this tragically iconic woman. I sped through it - just ultimately wish there had been more going on.
May 23, 2024
Even though we all know the tragic ending, I couldn't put this book down. As I was reading it, I realized I knew next to nothing about CBK and her life before JFK Jr, other than her stint at Calvin Klein. She was a fascinating woman in her own right and probably would have ended up as some kind of Anna Wintour figure eventually.
May 24, 2024
The Original Influencer
The influence of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy continues to spread. In addition to the existence of numerous Instagram accounts, 2023-2024 has seen the publication of "CBK Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion" (2023), and this biography. Finally, after being merely the protagonist in several memoirs (including "The Other Man" (2004) by Michael Bergin, "What Remains" (2005) by Carole Radziwill, and "Fairy Tale Interrupted" (2012) by RoseMarie Terenzio), as well as playing an important part in a number of memoirs about JFK, Jr. (including "American Son" (2002) by Richard Blow, "The Men We Became" (2004) by Robert T. Littell, "Forever Young" (2007) by William Sylvester Noonan, "JFK Jr., George, and & Me" by Matt Berman (2014), and "The Good Son" (2015) by Christopher Anderson), we have a proper biography of the woman who influenced Calvin Klein and a whole generation of New York women in the 1990s with her signature style, which she described in an interview with Glamour magazine in 1992 as "clean and understated looks [with] very classic colors" (p. 52).
Apart from the silly title, which is (another) fairy-tale sounding title for a book about a woman whom none of us would describe as living a fairy-tale life - the title may be a reference to the "analog" 90s before the advent of social media – this is a superb biography by first-time biographer Elizabeth Beller. The common complaint (!) about CBK is that she was a very private person who fastidiously avoided publicity, even as everyone around her wanted to dress like her and look like her. This book provides a wealth of detail about her early life and rise through the world of Calvin Klein, for whom she was the most important muse. Indeed, this biography makes the important claim that it was CBK who pushed CK to make Kate Moss the center of his comeback campaign in 1992-1993, which rescued CK from possible financial ruin. (It was 1993 when I first saw Kate Moss at Gavin Friday's wedding bash at The Clarendon Hotel in Dublin, with Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington, which was thrown by U2).
The influence of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy continues to spread. In addition to the existence of numerous Instagram accounts, 2023-2024 has seen the publication of "CBK Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion" (2023), and this biography. Finally, after being merely the protagonist in several memoirs (including "The Other Man" (2004) by Michael Bergin, "What Remains" (2005) by Carole Radziwill, and "Fairy Tale Interrupted" (2012) by RoseMarie Terenzio), as well as playing an important part in a number of memoirs about JFK, Jr. (including "American Son" (2002) by Richard Blow, "The Men We Became" (2004) by Robert T. Littell, "Forever Young" (2007) by William Sylvester Noonan, "JFK Jr., George, and & Me" by Matt Berman (2014), and "The Good Son" (2015) by Christopher Anderson), we have a proper biography of the woman who influenced Calvin Klein and a whole generation of New York women in the 1990s with her signature style, which she described in an interview with Glamour magazine in 1992 as "clean and understated looks [with] very classic colors" (p. 52).
Apart from the silly title, which is (another) fairy-tale sounding title for a book about a woman whom none of us would describe as living a fairy-tale life - the title may be a reference to the "analog" 90s before the advent of social media – this is a superb biography by first-time biographer Elizabeth Beller. The common complaint (!) about CBK is that she was a very private person who fastidiously avoided publicity, even as everyone around her wanted to dress like her and look like her. This book provides a wealth of detail about her early life and rise through the world of Calvin Klein, for whom she was the most important muse. Indeed, this biography makes the important claim that it was CBK who pushed CK to make Kate Moss the center of his comeback campaign in 1992-1993, which rescued CK from possible financial ruin. (It was 1993 when I first saw Kate Moss at Gavin Friday's wedding bash at The Clarendon Hotel in Dublin, with Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington, which was thrown by U2).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2024
Extremely well researched, put together and written. The author doesn’t fall into the trap of labeling Carolyn and the party girl or the virtuous saint. She paints a beautiful imagine of a vibrant, intelligent and complex woman who didn’t have the opportunity to fully mature into the person she was destined to be. It’s about time people stopped focusing on “what could have been” and celebrating the life that was. Did she have flaws? She was a human being with emotions, desires and needs - she had flaws just like the rest of us do. Did her and John have a perfect marriage? I challenge any married person to show me their “perfect union” because we all know it doesn’t exist. At the end of the day, all anyone can do is their best. No matter their privileges, situations, hardships, struggles, victories, etc., most people are just doing the best they can with the information and resources available at any particular time. John and Carolyn are no exception. Bravo author. Bravo.
May 27, 2024
I’m so grateful for this book. I’m thankful Carolyn’s story and life has finally been documented and shared through the research of Elizabeth Beller and from those who knew Carolyn best.
I am heartbroken for the suffering she endured by the paparazzi and media, and of course by all of us who consumed those photos & images. As a young newlywed myself, married 4 years before John & Carolyn, I was captivated by their love story and celebrity. They were the “It” couple of the 90’s and I was always rooting for them. I never believed the headlines & rumors… instead I just believed in them; wanting them to win.
She was breathtaking and of course such a classic, stylish young woman. It was validating to read that she was as wonderful a human as I imagined her to be… I think her genuineness and kindness were evident even in photographs.
There are those whose light is so bright, it shines above & beyond and I know now that hers was one.
I am heartbroken for the suffering she endured by the paparazzi and media, and of course by all of us who consumed those photos & images. As a young newlywed myself, married 4 years before John & Carolyn, I was captivated by their love story and celebrity. They were the “It” couple of the 90’s and I was always rooting for them. I never believed the headlines & rumors… instead I just believed in them; wanting them to win.
She was breathtaking and of course such a classic, stylish young woman. It was validating to read that she was as wonderful a human as I imagined her to be… I think her genuineness and kindness were evident even in photographs.
There are those whose light is so bright, it shines above & beyond and I know now that hers was one.
May 26, 2024
I'm on the fence with this book. Since all previous knowledge of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy of mine comes through the lens of the tabloids or through biographies of her husband, I couldn't wait to read all about Carolyn herself. The author posits that most of the unflattering portraits of Carolyn are because of misogynistic writers. However, this book seems to veer too far the other way, almost making Bessette Kennedy a saint-like figure. I believe she was like most people: a funny, happy person who could also be bitchy, someone who craved privacy yet didn't turn away from the most visible person in the United States besides the president. Other books claim Carolyn was heavily into cocaine, while this book refutes it vehemently. What I do know is that it couldn't have been easy living with a man who publicly lost his S*** and was caught on camera doing so with a variety of girlfriends. Heavens knows what he was like behind closed doors.
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May 28, 2024This was the book that I've been waiting to read since that chilly September morning in which the headlines were bursting with photos of Mr. Kennedy and his gorgeous bride. It is well researched, indeed, but it's even more than that: it's told as a story, in such a way that the reader almost feels as though they might be reading a letter from a dear friend who once spent time with Mrs. Bessette-Kennedy. This is for someone who has read the dribble and wants to read the narrative. The background, particularly Mrs. Bessette-Kennedy's childhood and teen years are so well provided that one truly feels a ripple of raw emotion as she encountered love and also harassment from the paparazzi. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
May 28, 2024
It may change your mind
Beautiful biography of a often misunderstood young woman taken far too soon. Read this and get a vastly different view of her life from the one presented by paparazzi. I was shocked at the length they went to get a photo. As a sensitive person myself, I can understand why Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy had problems with them! Her friends and family represent her well!
Beautiful biography of a often misunderstood young woman taken far too soon. Read this and get a vastly different view of her life from the one presented by paparazzi. I was shocked at the length they went to get a photo. As a sensitive person myself, I can understand why Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy had problems with them! Her friends and family represent her well!
Read
May 23, 2024A fresh perspective on the enigmatic Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, shedding light on her life in a way that has never been done before. While we may think we know Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Beller's insightful narrative brings her to life in a new and poignant way, making her untimely demise all the more heartbreaking
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May 24, 2024Wow….the audiobook of this biography did not disappoint. Thinking back to when all this was happening in CBK’s life and hearing all the details laid out, it broke my heart for her and all the media scrutiny she endured….highly recommend for anyone that enjoys pop culture/celebrity reads! It would be interesting to see how their lives/marriage played out if their lives weren’t cut so short.
May 25, 2024
Beautiful and heartbreaking. This woman was vilified by the entire world and could not have one moment of peace. For the press to even admit they ��needed a scapegoat as the Kennedys have been through too much” sums up how she was harassed and abused by a countless number of strangers. She seemed like an absolute joy, if you truly knew her, and I’m so happy I learned more about this impressive woman.
May 30, 2024
I loved.
May 30, 2024
Great read.
If you are a Kennedy follower, this is the latest "must read". Very well written. Some new information and a very balanced perspective on CBK.
If you are a Kennedy follower, this is the latest "must read". Very well written. Some new information and a very balanced perspective on CBK.
May 28, 2024
I really enjoyed reading about Carolyn Bessette and her life. So much coverage was only about her interaction with JFK Jr that it was great to find out more about here.
May 23, 2024
Because I was in such a bad mood yesterday, I devoted the greater part of the day to reading the new hagiography, Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
To justify her decision to write what is essentially stan-lit, the author Elizabeth Beller—a one-time script writer for Miramax (which, of course, forces the question: Did Harvey Weinstein ever…?) frames Carolyn’s life story as a kind of feminist parable.
When she was alive, Carolyn had a reputation as a bitch on wheels.
Not true, sez Beller! Carolyn was a young woman of intelligence, humor, and empathy.
It was the misogynistic media that connived to paint her as a shrewish, manipulative sociopath!
I suspect both things can be true.
I suspect Carolyn Bessette could have been intelligent, funny, and yes, even empathetic while at the same time being shrewish, manipulative, and unhinged.
###
I have no sympathy whatsoever for celebrities who complain about being hounded by the media.
All magic comes with a price.
Did you really think that life of unimaginable privilege you enjoy was being handed to you with no strings attached?
Nuh-huh.
Celebrities are important because they’re conduits to the ancient archetypes that humans revere and worship.
But worship takes many forms, and much of it is destructive.
The Maenads tore Orpheus limb from limb in drunken religious ecstasy. And Catholics actually eat Jesus.
###
Anyway, Carolyn Bessette. Ordinary girl growing up in Westchester County and then Greenwich, Connecticut (where her family was among the less tony inhabitants.) She was Italian! There's a great photograph of her with the other members of the matriarchal clan that I can't reproduce here because Goodreads no longer supports images in reviews.
Clearly, Carolyn had had her nose done by the time she took up with JFK Jr—although Beller doesn’t mention it. Also, she learned how to smile with her lips closed, lost 25 pounds, and began coloring her hair. Transformed herself from pretty and vivacious to soignee. Reinvented herself!
One does not go to all that trouble to reinvent oneself unless one is stalking a particular type of prey.
###
Even discounting Beller’s reverential bio, Carolyn Bessette is having a moment. Twenty-five years after her death, her style has inspired hundreds of Pinterest and Instagram sites. That number grows daily! Her style really was something—minimalist, expensive, with that signature slash of scarlet lipstick! If I had the money and was 50 years younger, I’d dress like Carolyn Bessette!
And if I had to speculate, I’d guess that Carolyn’s growing hostility toward her impossibly beautiful—but alas! not particularly bright—husband was a manifestation of something very like class consciousness. Everything in the fucking world had been handed to JFK Jr! And what had he done to merit it? What had he done to deserve the way people threw themselves at him every time he walked into a room?
I can absolutely see this enraging the shrewd working-class Italian girl in the photograph above once the excitement of snagging the gold ring on the carousel ride wore off.
To justify her decision to write what is essentially stan-lit, the author Elizabeth Beller—a one-time script writer for Miramax (which, of course, forces the question: Did Harvey Weinstein ever…?) frames Carolyn’s life story as a kind of feminist parable.
When she was alive, Carolyn had a reputation as a bitch on wheels.
Not true, sez Beller! Carolyn was a young woman of intelligence, humor, and empathy.
It was the misogynistic media that connived to paint her as a shrewish, manipulative sociopath!
I suspect both things can be true.
I suspect Carolyn Bessette could have been intelligent, funny, and yes, even empathetic while at the same time being shrewish, manipulative, and unhinged.
###
I have no sympathy whatsoever for celebrities who complain about being hounded by the media.
All magic comes with a price.
Did you really think that life of unimaginable privilege you enjoy was being handed to you with no strings attached?
Nuh-huh.
Celebrities are important because they’re conduits to the ancient archetypes that humans revere and worship.
But worship takes many forms, and much of it is destructive.
The Maenads tore Orpheus limb from limb in drunken religious ecstasy. And Catholics actually eat Jesus.
###
Anyway, Carolyn Bessette. Ordinary girl growing up in Westchester County and then Greenwich, Connecticut (where her family was among the less tony inhabitants.) She was Italian! There's a great photograph of her with the other members of the matriarchal clan that I can't reproduce here because Goodreads no longer supports images in reviews.
Clearly, Carolyn had had her nose done by the time she took up with JFK Jr—although Beller doesn’t mention it. Also, she learned how to smile with her lips closed, lost 25 pounds, and began coloring her hair. Transformed herself from pretty and vivacious to soignee. Reinvented herself!
One does not go to all that trouble to reinvent oneself unless one is stalking a particular type of prey.
###
Even discounting Beller’s reverential bio, Carolyn Bessette is having a moment. Twenty-five years after her death, her style has inspired hundreds of Pinterest and Instagram sites. That number grows daily! Her style really was something—minimalist, expensive, with that signature slash of scarlet lipstick! If I had the money and was 50 years younger, I’d dress like Carolyn Bessette!
And if I had to speculate, I’d guess that Carolyn’s growing hostility toward her impossibly beautiful—but alas! not particularly bright—husband was a manifestation of something very like class consciousness. Everything in the fucking world had been handed to JFK Jr! And what had he done to merit it? What had he done to deserve the way people threw themselves at him every time he walked into a room?
I can absolutely see this enraging the shrewd working-class Italian girl in the photograph above once the excitement of snagging the gold ring on the carousel ride wore off.
May 28, 2024
Not sure why I read this, but I did so here we go...
I had just moved to NYC when JFK Jr and his bride were all the rage and I clearly remember the night their plane disappeared. But the whole Kennedy era was before my time, so I really did not '"get" JFK Jr. and the hoopla surrounding him. He seemed like sort of an average Joe albeit better looking and with more money.
But Carolyn I got... sorta. She was pretty but not in a traditional way. She was fashionable but seemed like she wasn't even trying. No makeup, highlights that looked like they were done at any regular salon, low fashion mixed with a bit of high, often seen in jeans and sneakers, career oriented, and there was just something magnetic about her. I remember the couple's fight in the park and thought "So what?" People fight. It made them seem more average.
In all honesty, when they (and Lauren) died, it was really Carolyn I thought mostly about, not "John John." I suppose because I was about her same age (though younger) and living in NYC and we just seemed to have stuff in common though I wasn't married to "America's Prince," etc. I did not read tabloids so was unfamiliar with the rumors of Carolyn's heavy partying, drug use, affairs, etc (all of which seem completely untrue).
But mostly I felt bad that she got mixed up with the Kennedys. I'm sorry, but they just have tragedy all over them.
Anyway, this was an interesting, and more feminist look, at Carolyn (and JFK Jr - read about how he dickered around with Carolyn, Daryl Hannah, and a model for a few years before finally "deciding" on one of them - eye roll). Though I will say the author was so completely enamored of CBK (or possibly working with friends/family, and therefore guaranteed them an overly-rosy take) that it occasionally read as rather phony. The first several chapters are nothing but "Carolyn was so beautiful, so kind, so empathetic, so helpful, so wonderful, so gorgeous, did I say beautiful? So beautiful...." etc.
I mean... come on.
Also, both she and JFK Jr lost a lot of my goodwill when they bought a full-breed puppy after visiting the notoriously terrible city pound to adopt a dog. Why not adopt? They would have done SO MUCH to raise the profile of adoption. Right there, I got a true sense of them, and how they weren't quite as "average" as the author was insisting...
Still if you're curious about Carolyn and JFK Jr, I recommend picking this up.
I had just moved to NYC when JFK Jr and his bride were all the rage and I clearly remember the night their plane disappeared. But the whole Kennedy era was before my time, so I really did not '"get" JFK Jr. and the hoopla surrounding him. He seemed like sort of an average Joe albeit better looking and with more money.
But Carolyn I got... sorta. She was pretty but not in a traditional way. She was fashionable but seemed like she wasn't even trying. No makeup, highlights that looked like they were done at any regular salon, low fashion mixed with a bit of high, often seen in jeans and sneakers, career oriented, and there was just something magnetic about her. I remember the couple's fight in the park and thought "So what?" People fight. It made them seem more average.
In all honesty, when they (and Lauren) died, it was really Carolyn I thought mostly about, not "John John." I suppose because I was about her same age (though younger) and living in NYC and we just seemed to have stuff in common though I wasn't married to "America's Prince," etc. I did not read tabloids so was unfamiliar with the rumors of Carolyn's heavy partying, drug use, affairs, etc (all of which seem completely untrue).
But mostly I felt bad that she got mixed up with the Kennedys. I'm sorry, but they just have tragedy all over them.
Anyway, this was an interesting, and more feminist look, at Carolyn (and JFK Jr - read about how he dickered around with Carolyn, Daryl Hannah, and a model for a few years before finally "deciding" on one of them - eye roll). Though I will say the author was so completely enamored of CBK (or possibly working with friends/family, and therefore guaranteed them an overly-rosy take) that it occasionally read as rather phony. The first several chapters are nothing but "Carolyn was so beautiful, so kind, so empathetic, so helpful, so wonderful, so gorgeous, did I say beautiful? So beautiful...." etc.
I mean... come on.
Also, both she and JFK Jr lost a lot of my goodwill when they bought a full-breed puppy after visiting the notoriously terrible city pound to adopt a dog. Why not adopt? They would have done SO MUCH to raise the profile of adoption. Right there, I got a true sense of them, and how they weren't quite as "average" as the author was insisting...
Still if you're curious about Carolyn and JFK Jr, I recommend picking this up.
June 1, 2024
Once upon a time is an accurate picture of Carolyn Bisset Kennedy based on accounts and descriptions from classmates, neighbors, friends and coworkers from throughout her lifeWe see Caroline’s dynamic, magnetic, genuinely kind and caring, funny intelligent personality emerge in early childhood. How she attracts true and very loyal friends and fosters and cherishes those friendships throughout her life. No one has a negative thing to say about her. To know her is to love her. So when she meets John Kennedy Jr., it’s no surprise when he is really smitten!
The fairy tale love story takes a twist and we find out what happens when you take a very private sensitive person and thrust them in front of paparazzi, who hunt Carolyn 24/7. Then the press make up their own stories to go with the pictures. How does this affect her dynamic personality, or does it? Does John John stick by her and help her navigate all of this? And does any of this give clues as to what happened in the plane the night of the accident? Or is it just a mystery that will never be solved?
This book answers so many of these questions and some I didn’t even know I wanted answered! It is a deep and thorough, well researched account of events, as well as, who Carolyn was as an individual and who she became as the wife of John Kennedy Jr.; and about the events that led their untimely death.
It is beautifully written. This book is a tribute to the memory of a truly beautiful soul, two beautiful souls . It isn’t sappy sweet and it’s not a tear jerker, it’s just a beautiful compilation of love.
The fairy tale love story takes a twist and we find out what happens when you take a very private sensitive person and thrust them in front of paparazzi, who hunt Carolyn 24/7. Then the press make up their own stories to go with the pictures. How does this affect her dynamic personality, or does it? Does John John stick by her and help her navigate all of this? And does any of this give clues as to what happened in the plane the night of the accident? Or is it just a mystery that will never be solved?
This book answers so many of these questions and some I didn’t even know I wanted answered! It is a deep and thorough, well researched account of events, as well as, who Carolyn was as an individual and who she became as the wife of John Kennedy Jr.; and about the events that led their untimely death.
It is beautifully written. This book is a tribute to the memory of a truly beautiful soul, two beautiful souls . It isn’t sappy sweet and it’s not a tear jerker, it’s just a beautiful compilation of love.
May 27, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Once Upon a Time
Author: Elizabeth Beller
Source: Purchased E-Book
Date Pub: May 2024
I have closely followed the Kennedy clan for decades. One thing they do well is public service; another is making poor decisions that create public drama. Sadness follows this family, and while some are self-created, some are tragedies. Once Upon a Time covers the courtship and marriage of John Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, which was major news. Who can forget the beautiful bride in the cream silk wedding dress who wins John's heart? While factually rich, this book was mostly a regurgitation of all the articles written about them, and most material is gleaned from previously written books and other referenced sources. The book does not expose many “new” revelations. It made me remember how sweet and short life can be and that the press torments rich and very public personalities. Sadly, one mistake resulted in three lives being cut tragically short. #Kennedy #planecrash #marriage #fashion #love #family #tragedy #loss #love #wedding #OnceUponATime #loss #death
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Once Upon a Time
Author: Elizabeth Beller
Source: Purchased E-Book
Date Pub: May 2024
I have closely followed the Kennedy clan for decades. One thing they do well is public service; another is making poor decisions that create public drama. Sadness follows this family, and while some are self-created, some are tragedies. Once Upon a Time covers the courtship and marriage of John Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, which was major news. Who can forget the beautiful bride in the cream silk wedding dress who wins John's heart? While factually rich, this book was mostly a regurgitation of all the articles written about them, and most material is gleaned from previously written books and other referenced sources. The book does not expose many “new” revelations. It made me remember how sweet and short life can be and that the press torments rich and very public personalities. Sadly, one mistake resulted in three lives being cut tragically short. #Kennedy #planecrash #marriage #fashion #love #family #tragedy #loss #love #wedding #OnceUponATime #loss #death
🇺🇸
#book #books #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #bookreader #reader #reading
June 1, 2024
Okay. I get it. The author wants to redeem Carolyn Bessette's reputation. But the book is so fawning and repetitive, that it's almost impossible to listen to. Plus, I don't need to know the address of the salon she visited or the brand of makeup she used. Those details felt like product placements. It annoyed me how many of the names were mispronounced and how many times do we need to hear that she loved children, was kind and a wonderful friend, that she had grown up in a different mileu and found it difficult to deal with the spotlight? I got each of those points the first time. Yes, she was beautiful, but there was no need to say it hundreds of times.
There was no depth, no insights. I'd hoped to learn more about Ms. Bessette-Kennedy but I couldn't bear to finish the book (note: I listened to 3/4 of the book so I felt like I gave it a chance). Every potential flaw or outburst is explained away. In the author's opinion, she could do no wrong. She must have been a more complex character than she appears here. In comparison, I listened to Demi Moore's autobiography recently and found that despite her flaws, she was very likable. Her story and the challenge of her life were compelling. I wish this book had been as good.
There was no depth, no insights. I'd hoped to learn more about Ms. Bessette-Kennedy but I couldn't bear to finish the book (note: I listened to 3/4 of the book so I felt like I gave it a chance). Every potential flaw or outburst is explained away. In the author's opinion, she could do no wrong. She must have been a more complex character than she appears here. In comparison, I listened to Demi Moore's autobiography recently and found that despite her flaws, she was very likable. Her story and the challenge of her life were compelling. I wish this book had been as good.
May 27, 2024
Like all good biographies, there are lessons to be learned reading about the failures and successes of our fellow humans. Most importantly, this one was a good reminder that “this is no dress rehearsal”. Enjoyed this read because I remember the stories about this couple in the press and I also remember the media 24/7 coverage of the search for the plane. The OJ chase was the first time I recall a live non stop coverage of a news story that wasn’t a scheduled event, but when networks decided to air non stop coverage of nothing but an aircraft carrier floating at sea I think we all knew the way media was covering news had permanently changed. After reading this book, one knows CBK learned it before most of us with the heart breaking way she was relentlessly and cruelly pursued by the media. I particularly enjoyed learning how CBK rose to success in her career before she knew JFK Jr. I imagine her star would have shone more brightly had she followed her own path and that makes one understand her difficulties post JFK Jr., but No one gets to have it all.
June 1, 2024
The intro says the book’s purpose is to reexamine our views on Carolyn Bessette Kennedy through today’s more understanding, compassionate lens. We certainly have more compassionate views today on people going through depression and/or taking prescription antidepressants. But I was hoping for more than reexamining views; I was hoping for more information. I didn’t walk away knowing if she cheated on JFK Jr. I didn’t find out if she took drugs other than her prescriptions. There wasn’t really anything new here. Yes, she hated the paparazzi. Yes, she was a nice person in private. I just didn’t find the book very captivating.
May 24, 2024
Unsure why this was published…why now decades later? But have thought that about the many many books written by anyone remotely associated with John John, decades after he passed. Seems like the author has also read all those books on him and cut and pasted tidbits into this book. Well, cut and pasted the most flattering parts. The hagiography of the “beautiful creature” is off the charts. Couldn’t stomach finishing the book. DNF.
Edited to add Disclaimer: I do NOT know, nor are family/friends with the author or the subject of the book.
Edited to add Disclaimer: I do NOT know, nor are family/friends with the author or the subject of the book.
June 1, 2024
I read this book to learn a bit about Carolyn Bissette. I honestly feel as if one of Carolyn's best friends wrote this and is trying to defend her and make you like her (I didn't 'Not' like her before).
The writing is awkward and the "Carolyn is so awesome" stories are pushed and hard to believe.
You do not get a warm and fuzzy feeling for she or JFK Jr., and certainly not for their relationship. I'm confused by all the 5 star ratings but maybe I'm missing something.
The writing is awkward and the "Carolyn is so awesome" stories are pushed and hard to believe.
You do not get a warm and fuzzy feeling for she or JFK Jr., and certainly not for their relationship. I'm confused by all the 5 star ratings but maybe I'm missing something.
May 22, 2024
A fabulous biography by a very dedicated writer, Elizabeth Beller produces beautifully a lengthy examination of a self-made fashion icon, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, who was mistreated by a voyeuristic press during her fascinating short life and sadly her memory continues to be neglected after a quarter of the century afterwards. Highly recommended!
May 28, 2024
This is why I do not read biographies. Only a story written by the subject. This was full of quotes from other books written about them, NY POst stories and hearsay:( And the fact that I listened to it on audible with a reader who was not appealing made me not like this story one bit.
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May 29, 2024Wrote about the book in the New York Post: https://nypost.com/2024/05/26/lifesty...
And on my Substack: https://raquellaneri.substack.com/p/w...
And on my Substack: https://raquellaneri.substack.com/p/w...
May 21, 2024
Quite good.
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