The Kennedy clan have always been a family that has interested the world since well 
before Marilyn Monroe sang a fantastic version of happy birthday and Jackie O set the trend for larger sunglasses. This book is written from the point of view of the nanny, Nora Brennan, who was brought into to their home to care for the brood of youngsters destined for the white house and so much more.
Initially, I couldn’t get excited about the book and felt as if I was going to suffer each page I had to turn to get to the end. But, thankfully, it warmed up and the content, if not the writing, kept me going. I, of course, had grown up hearing about the Kennedy Clan and knew, like us, they were a Catholic family and very high profile but I have to say it was a real eye opener to read (although a novel used maybe some poetic licence about the circumstances and reasoning behind the decisions made, particularly the lobotomy) how cruel and calculating Joe and Rose Kennedy were when they thought anything might interfere with their quest to have a son in the White House. To me, they were not good Catholics at all, a disgrace to the name. I have since read up about poor Rose Marie and some of the troubles her brothers and sisters invited/encountered and is it any wonder that they were such a dysfunctional family with that kind of example. The prose wasn’t great in the book but I did warm to the lovable, loving and down to earth story telling of nanny, Nora. 3.5/5
There is a morbid sense of fascination with the elite that adorn our TV’s while watching the news. I loved the way Laurie Graham tackled the events that Nora would have seen in her time with them. A fly on the wall look at one of the world’s most famous families but I wanted more. 3/5
TOTAL SCORE: 23/35
https://wordery.com/the-importance-of-being-kennedy-laurie-graham-9780007228836
