Once Upon A Secret

Once Upon A Secret-My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and its Aftermath by Mimi Alford is the story of a nineteen year old White House intern who had an eighteen month affair with President Kennedy.  It is a simple, easy read and was quite interesting, in that it gives a broader sense of the womanizing that must have gone on.  My guess is that there are/were hundreds of women who could have written the same My Affair with President John F. Kennedy type book.  I don't mean that all of his affairs were under the same circumstances, but that I think there were many, many stories that could be told.

Ms. Alford did a good job exploring and relating how her experiences affected her life.  The story made me sad for her, but I don't believe that she necessarily regrets the affair.  It appeared to me that she regrets how she handled the next forty years of her life with having to hold onto that secret.

While reading the book, it took me back to being a nineteen year old college girl and how easily girls of that age can readily be taken in by power, love, money, etc.  And how those experiences play out for the rest of a woman's life, which I dealt with daily in my work as a psychotherapist working with women.  The imbalance of power is a powerful thing that many use to their advantage.  Sadly, President Kennedy appeared to be one of those who did just that.