Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter

"[Larson] succeeds in providing a well-rounded portrait of a woman who, until now, has never been viewed in full."—The Boston Globe

“A biography that chronicles her life with fresh details . . . By making Rosemary the central character, [Larson] has produced a valuable account of a mental health tragedy and an influential family’s belated efforts to make amends.”—The New York Times Book Review

Joe and Rose Kennedy’s strikingly beautiful daughter Rosemary—JFK's sister—was intellectually disabled, a secret fiercely guarded by her powerful and glamorous family. In Rosemary, Kate Clifford Larson uses newly uncovered sources to bring the true story of the hidden Kennedy daughter 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 became increasingly difficult in her early twenties, culminating in Joe’s decision to have Rosemary subjected to a disastrous lobotomy 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, an American tragedy that inspired them to direct government attention and resources to the plight of the developmentally and mentally disabled, transforming the lives of millions.

One of People’s Top Ten Books of 2015

This gripping biography uncovers the devastating family secrets at the heart of an American dynasty:

• Kennedy Family Secrets: Go beyond the glamour to witness the heartbreaking choices made by Joe and Rose Kennedy to protect their family’s reputation and political ambitions at the cost of their daughter’s well-being.
• A Controversial Surgery: Discover the harrowing details of the prefrontal lobotomy Joe Kennedy arranged for 23-year-old Rosemary and the devastating, irreversible consequences of the primitive procedure.
• Intellectual Disability in the 20th Century: Gain a poignant understanding of the stigma and limited options faced by families dealing with intellectual disabilities in an era before modern advocacy and medical understanding.
• A Sister’s Legacy: Learn how the truth of Rosemary’s life eventually inspired her siblings—including President John F. Kennedy and Eunice Kennedy Shriver—to become global champions for the disabled.