Forever Young

This account of JFK, Jr.'s, short life could not be more engaging. The issues of class privilege and its burdens, as much as the Kennedy lineage, are portrayed with casual sophistication and an ear for universal narratives. An insider's biography, it has riveting stories that reveal Kennedy's humanitarian heart as well as his recklessness. The author has a nuanced grasp of what John and his sister, Caroline, faced as they navigated a complicated web of friends and critics, and dealt constantly with their celebrity and the weight of everyone's expectations. Adam Grupper is a marvelous interpreter of Kennedy's story--understated but not dull, and conveying a tone that perfectly evokes Billy Noonan talking at various stages of his relationship with the departed icon. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine