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Once Upon a Time

The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

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Once Upon a Time

Written by: Elizabeth Beller
Narrated by: Emily Tremaine
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Summary

The inspiration for the FX series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

A NEW YORK TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER

This “intimate and sympathetic portrait of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy that is as enthralling as she was” (Dana Thomas, New York Times bestselling author) reexamines her life and legacy as never before. 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 her sister 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 “reveals the true woman behind the mystery, and what a woman she turns out to be: fabulous, fierce, fashionable, flawed…formidable” (J. Randy Taraborrelli, New York Times bestselling author). When she began dating America’s prince, Carolyn was thrust into an overwhelming spotlight filled with cruelly 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, the truth is finally unveiled.

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, and featuring never-before-seen family photos, this comprehensive biography reveals a multifaceted woman worthy of our attention regardless of her husband and untimely death.
Art & Literature Fashion Designers Politicians Politics & Activism Women Marriage Royalty
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The reader is very engaging, the book is nice ,uplifting, inspiring and takes youlu into cbk's world , i would avoid the last few chapters in future reads.

Heard multiple times

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This book was great at dispelling the (often times) misogynistic descriptions of Carolyn, while at still realistically bringing life to the versatile woman she was. Carolyn is not put on a pedestal for this book, but the author does a great job at exploring her possible emotions to the changes throughout her life. I greatly appreciated the fact this biography was written about Carolyn— not about Carolyn in relation to JFK Jr. (though it is, of course, included). Forewarning; If you’re anything like me, you may even have a little cry at the end. Well worth it though.

Dispelling the falsities in full force

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Carolyn was beautiful.. but my goodness .. relax .. she was a normal person .. as they have been saying for years .. you made her very unreal .

Nothing stood out

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I found the detailed research into her family and her very well done.

However, she is depicted as too perfect with no dark side at all, almost a saint with no faults or mistakes.

People are not this perfect but the protagonist is portrayed to be in this book. Not realistic.

Too fulsome

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