NON-FICTION BOOK CLUB January 2017 Selection ______Rosemary by Kate Clifford Larson Joe and Rose Kennedy’s strikingly beautiful daughter Rosemary attended exclusive schools, was presented as a debutante to the queen of England, and traveled the world with her high-spirited sisters. Yet Rosemary was intellectually disabled, a secret fiercely guarded by her powerful and glamorous family. In Rosemary, Kate Clifford Larson uses newly uncovered sources to bring Rosemary Kennedy’s story to light. Young Rosemary comes alive as a sweet, lively girl adored by her siblings. But Larson also reveals the often desperate and duplicitous arrangements the Kennedys made to keep her away from home as she because increasingly difficult in her early twenties, culminating in Joe’s decision to have Rosemary lobotomized at age twenty-three and the family’s complicity in keeping the secret. Only years later did the Kennedy siblings begin to understand what had happened to Rosemary, which inspired them to direct government attention and resources to the plight of the developmentally and mentally disabled, transforming the lives of millions. ISBN 9780544811904
Discussion Questions: 1. The subtitle of the book is “The Hidden Kennedy Daughter.” How do you think it would have been titled if the book had been written by Rose, Joe, or Rosemary’s siblings?
2. A work of nonfiction is shaped by the availability of information and sources. For the majority of the book, Rose’s narrative is the most present, most likely because of her memoir and her role as head of the household and communicator. How would the book have been different if the most pervasive perspectives were those of the Kennedy children?
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3. The book tended to portray Rose in a negative light: the constant attention to the weights of her children, the solo vacations, and her frequent upheaval of Rosemary. Some would argue, however, that she was simply doing her best given the time she lived in and her family’s fame and exposure. How did you view Rose throughout the book? Then delve deeper and question what parts of your like informed the view.
4. The term “retarded” is used in the book to characterize Rosemary and was acceptable language at the time. Now, however, it is an extremely offensive term to use when regarding the disabled. How and when do you think this shift came about? And how is language used to oppress people? Can you think of any other terms that went from accepted to offensive?
5. There is a distinct lack of Rosemary’s own voice in this book. The only instances are from Rosemary’s letters and from secondhand accounts from her family and friends. Because of this, it is hard to know whether the author accurately captured her essence. Discuss the ethical difficulties of biographical writing and of crafting a narrative of someone’s life.
6. The book focuses frequently on Rose’s great beauty. Did this make it easier to hide her disability? How do you think the narrative would have changed if Rose had been born a boy? How do you think the Kennedy family’s reaction would have been different if this were the case?
7. In Eunice’s 2007 speech, she says, “love gave me confidence and adversity gave me purpose.” Would you say this is true of your own life? And if not, what gives you confidence and purpose?
8. When sending Rosemary to summer camp, Rose lies both to the camp administrators and to Rosemary. Had Rose been honest, Rosemary probably would not have been allowed at the camp but because of the lie, Rosemary was sent home early anyway. Was there a better decision to be made? How would you have handled the situation if Rosemary had been your daughter?
9. What effect did the collection of photographs have on you? What do you think they meant to accomplish and did they achieve that goal?
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10. The beginning of the book chronicles the early lives of Joe and Rose. Did you find this to be helpful in setting the stage or superfluous to the story?
Review or Comment about this book: Help others with their decision to read this book by simply leaving your comments and reviews online at http://www.booksamillion.com/p/9780544811904
Recommendations:
If you liked Rosemary, you might like Kick Kennedy (http://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781250071316)
You might also enjoy The Six (http://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781250099532)
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