I'm a historical book junkie. If I had all the free time in the world, I would spend my time holed up in the corner of a coffee shop, reading book after book on American and European history. Anyone who truly knows me knows that my fascination and admiration for the Kennedys is very present. No matter how much I think I know about them, I learn something new each time I read a book or watch a documentary. Recently I came across a book authored by Clint Hill, part of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's Secret Service team, titled "Mrs. Kennedy and Me." It is an enthralling and engrossing read, where I literally have a hard time putting the book down.
To say, "I can't get enough" is probably very true and very real. The book itself provides a charming and very raw insight into Jack Kennedy's short-lived Presidency. More so, it shows Jackie as someone who very much hated the press and media (despite being a reporter when she was a budding student) and absolutely adored her freedom. She was a unique character who only wanted her and her children to live a “normal” life despite her husband’s tedious job. The book itself is characterized by years. It starts from 1960 when Clint Hill is assigned to Jackie before the President was to be inaugurated, it ends when Bill Clinton invites Mr. Hill to the White House in 1994 to inform him of Mrs. Kennedy's untimely death.
"Mrs. Kennedy and Me" is a personal and deeply intriguing insight into her life at the White House, her solitary escape at Glen Ora in Middleburg, Virginia, their beach getaway in Palm Beach, Florida, and the familial estate at Hyannis Port. There are no words for the strength she exemplifies on that fateful day in Dallas, Texas, and the strength she carries onward. She has single-handedly brought up her children, for which she deserves undeniable respect.
Clint Hill manages to tie the political, yet private aspect of the Kennedys through a prospective that honors their legacy years after. History is never meant to be forgotten, instead it is meant to be cherished and learned from. History teaches us more than we would ever expect, because we cannot move forward without knowing our past. It is crucial that we preserve historical legacies, such as those of the Kennedys, at a time when our nation was going through a struggle that is unknown to us in modern-day times. We can only honor the legacies of Jack and Jacqueline. Mr. Hill's book does a magnificent job of doing just that.
