The Nine of Us

Growing Up Kennedy

De: Jean Kennedy Smith

Narrado por: Lorna Raver

In this evocative and affectionate memoir, Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving child of Joe and Rose Kennedy, offers an intimate and illuminating look at a time long ago when she and her siblings, guided by their parents, laughed and learned a great deal under one roof.

Prompted by interesting tidbits in the newspaper, Rose and Joe Kennedy would pose questions to their nine children at the dinner table. "Where could Amelia Earhart have gone?" "How would you address this horrible drought?" "What would you do about the troop movements in Europe?" It was a nightly custom that helped shape the Kennedys into who they would become.

Before Joe and Rose's children emerged as leaders on the world stage, they were a loving circle of brothers and sisters who played football, swam, read, and pursued their interests. They were children inspired by parents who instilled in them a strong work ethic, a deep love of country, and an intense appreciation for the sacrifices their ancestors made to come to America. "No whining in this house!" was their father's regular refrain. It was his way of reminding them not to complain, to be grateful for what they had, and to give back.

In her remarkable memoir, Kennedy Smith - the last surviving sibling - revisits this singular time in their lives. Filled with fascinating anecdotes and vignettes, The Nine of Us vividly depicts this large, close-knit family during a different time in American history. Kennedy Smith offers indelible, elegantly rendered portraits of her larger-than-life siblings and her parents. "They knew how to cure our hurts, bind our wounds, listen to our woes, and help us enjoy life," she writes. "We were lucky children indeed."

©2016 Jean Kennedy Smith (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Loved it!!

Such a fun audio book to listen to all her stories and memories of her life.

A little sugar coated prospective

This is a nice book that does not mention any of the negative stories of the Kennedys we are used to hearing. A bit of a fairy tale about America's royal family.

The Nine of Us

Nice book about the family life of the Kennedy's. Gentle and sentimental. Light reading for summer.

easy educational

gave great personal insight . improves undeestanding of people and their times. performed beautifully with heart.

Some New Stories

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The part of the book that moved me the most was when Jean described how her parents always had a way of lifting the children up and never raised their voices. Other moving moments were Jean described the loss of her siblings. Very touching.

Any additional comments?

Too short.

Thank you jean Kennedy

Outstanding book I like it thank you jean for sharing your family life

God bless you jean

informative

I love learning about the Kennedy family and this book helped me a lot more.

Inside the Kennedy Family~ excellent and funny~

PLOT: the last remaining of the 9 Kennedy Children tells the inside scoop.

Jean Kennedy is the 8th of 9 children. At 89 she wrote this book. She gives us a glimpse into the inner circle of the family. This starts with a young Jean talking about each Kennedy family member from the oldest to the youngest. She also reviews the family history. Most interesting is Rose Kennedy the mother. Added is HUMOR. The time "out" was a closet. Today this would not be considered good parenting but Jean and Teddy got time out at the 'same' time and ended up having a great time trying on Rose's hats and shoes. When the Pope visited the Kennedy home the sofa he sat on became a place of honor including a PLAQUE to honor the visit. This book is excellent. Jean has a remarkable memory and shares both the funny and tragic times. The details of life inside the large catholic family are fascinating. When Rose brings a tour bus group... inside the house for a rare look at the home and she stops at the "sofa where the pope sat" was beyond hysterical. This book is excellent. It moves along very well. The reader Lorna Raver is first rate and has the perfect inflections to keep the story flowing. I give it 5 STARS all the way. The Best book of 2016 I have listened too.

Excellent just what we need to read after this devastating election.

Inspirational and up lifting. A great book to read to your children. It gives us hope.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH AND FAMILY and HISTORY

If you love history, and love our American royal family (The Kennedy clan), then this audible book is for you. This book is full of fun anecdotes of growing up Kennedy, told by none other than the last surviving child of Rose and Joe Kennedy. Jean Kennedy Smith devotedly spends time on the importance of each of her original family members who grew up in the Kennedy household. The book is well-organized. The epilogue and the introduction are like two book ends (pardon the pun), describing how faith and the importance of family shape all of us. Not a fan of the narrator's voice, but I suppose it was appropriate for this memoir, as Jean would probably sound like the narrator at the time this memoir was written.