Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath - Softcover

Alford, Mimi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0812981340 ISBN 13: 9780812981346

Publisher: Random House Trade, 2013

Synopsis

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "With the benefit of hindsight and good old-fashioned maturity, [Mimi Alford] writes not just about the secret, but the corrosive effect of keeping that secret. . . . You can't help liking her, or her elegant and thoroughly good-natured book."--The Spectator

In the summer of 1962, nineteen-year-old Mimi Beardsley arrived in Washington, D.C., to begin an internship in the White House press office. After just three days on the job, the privileged but sheltered young woman was presented to the President himself. Almost immediately, the two began an affair that would continue for the next eighteen months. Emotionally unprepared to counter the President's charisma and power, Mimi was also ill-equipped to handle the feelings of isolation that would follow as she fell into the double life of a college student who was also the secret lover of the most powerful man in the world. After the President's assassination in Dallas, she grieved alone, locked her secret away, and tried to start a new life, only to be blindsided by her past.

Now, no longer defined by silence or shame, Mimi Alford finally unburdens herself with this unflinchingly honest account of her life and her extremely private moments with a very public man. This paperback edition includes a special Q&A, in which the author reflects on the intense media attention surrounding the book's initial release. Once Upon a Secret is a moving story of a woman emerging from the shadows to reclaim the truth.

"What [Alford] sacrificed in lucre she has more than recovered in credibility and dignity."--The Washington Times

"Compelling . . . a polished voice telling a credible story you can take to the bank."--Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Explosive . . . searingly candid."--New York Post

About this title

Review:

"With the benefit of hindsight and good old-fashioned maturity, [Mimi Alford] writes not just about the secret, but the corrosive effect of keeping that secret. . . . You can't help liking her, or her elegant and thoroughly good-natured book."--The Spectator

"What [Alford] sacrificed in lucre she has more than recovered in credibility and dignity."--The Washington Times

"Compelling . . . a polished voice telling a credible story you can take to the bank."--Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Explosive . . . searingly candid."--New York Post

Book Description:

Mimi Beardsley Alford finally tells the true story of her affair with President John F Kennedy -- kept secret for 40 years

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House Trade
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0812981340
• ISBN 13: 9780812981346
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224