TLC Book Tour Review of “Dear Mrs. Kennedy: The World Shares Its Grief: Letters, November 1963” by Jay Mulvaney and Paul De Angelis

John F. Kennedy was elected as the 35th president of the United States in 1960 at the age of 43, the youngest man ever to be elected to that office. After eight years of Eisenhower (who was perceived as representing World War II and the past) and his very unstylish wife Mamie, the public went crazy over the young and handsome Kennedy, his stately wife, and their adorable children. Kennedy’s path-breaking use of television ensured that his looks, intelligence, wit and charm got worldwide exposure. When Kennedy appeared, women screamed as if he were a rock star. Journalists ranked Kennedy’s fans as “jumpers,” “double jumpers” (girls who held hands while jumping) and “runners” (the latter group being those who broke through barriers to chase Kennedy’s car).

On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was fatally wounded by an assassin while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. He was pronounced dead at one o’clock central time. The funeral, on November 25, was attended by representatives of 90 countries. The sense of shock and loss was magnified by Kennedy’s youth and energy. And the striking photos of the young widow with her small children intensified these feelings.

Letters of sympathy poured in to Jackie and her children. As the authors report, “by the time the official collection of condolence correspondence ended in early 1965, it totaled some 1,250,000 pieces.” Most of them have never been shared with the public until now. The authors reprinted representative samples of letters to demonstrate the depth and breadth of emotion evoked by the killing of the President.

Knowing what the status of the office of President was like in 1963 is an important part of understanding the intense reaction to Kennedy’s death. Public officials were respected and admired, and the members of the press collaborated in maintaining their images. Even aside from Kennedy’s cultivation of the press, reporters wouldn’t dream of exposing his peccadilloes to the public. Nor did his policies and practices receive much criticism – not during his lifetime and not for years afterward.

No one opened the papers in the morning to read about election irregularities, or all the conservative southern judges to whom Kennedy awarded political appointments (thus setting back Civil Rights by years), the women who trailed in and out of the White House, the wiretaps placed on Martin Luther King, or the betrayal and murder of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem. Kennedy had a hand in all of this and more. The public didn’t know, and it was in love. The Kennedys had everything Americans valued: money, youth, looks, intelligence, sophistication, a big, close-knit, talented family, many intensely loyal (and capable) friends, and the Kennedys even played touch football! When Kennedy spoke of “vigor” in his inaugural address, Americans felt he personified it.

Another important factor is that people in other countries and even their leaders seemed to share the great expectations Americans had for Kennedy’s administration. Churchill’s letter is prototypical:

“On this great and good man were set the hopes of humanity. … I would like you to know that throughout the world, and in England especially, all men who prize Freedom and hope for Peace share your loss and partake of your grief…”

Discussion: Besides page after page of tribute letters, this book does offer a bit of background on the Kennedy Administration preceding each section. But basically, it’s mostly samples of letters. After a while, the more callous among you (such as me) may feel like saying “yada, yada, yada.” This is not to say I’m not into Kennedy hagiolatry. But I like there to be a story, I like to learn something, and I like a book to hold my attention. In my opinion, the very best of such tribute books is Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye by Kennedy’s close friends Kenneth O’Donnell and David Powers. It’s full of great anecdotes- both personal and political, as well as insights into the incredible charisma and sense of destiny that Kennedy exuded. For me, that constitutes a hagiography with meat and potatoes, and thus, ultimately more satisfying.

Evaluation: This book gives an inside look at the world’s response to a shared sense of grief. It will probably mean the most to those who lived during the Kennedy years, and who will always remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news…

Rating: 2.5/5

Published by St. Martin’s Press, 2010

This book is reviewed as part of TLC Tours.