The Good Son

October 15, 2014

Best-selling biographer Andersen (These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of Jack with Jackie) provides an in-depth look at the tragically short life of John F. Kennedy Jr. The author emphasizes the relationship he had with his mother, Jackie, and skillfully interweaves profiles of several other influential people in his life, including his sister Caroline, billionaire stepfather Aristotle Onassis, and wife Carolyn Bessette. Anderson recounts well-known events, such as Kennedy Jr. hiding underneath the presidential desk as a toddler and the tabloid fodder that resulted from his many paramours. Besides the young man's notable achievements, such as founding George magazine, Anderson also describes darker events that impacted the Kennedy clan including criminal prosecutions, accounts of substance abuse, and numerous untimely deaths. There have been several volumes written about America's most renowned former first family and numerous John F. Kennedy Jr. biographies exist. Matt Berman provides a personal perspective on the late scion's life is his recent account, JFK Jr., George, & Me: A Memoir. VERDICT Anderson's work, unfortunately, does not afford much new material. However, this comprehensive text will satisfy new readers to this iconic family's saga, or perhaps Kennedy completists.--Mary Jennings, Camano Island Lib., WA

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