We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the library. Find a location near you.

The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Published:
HarperCollins 2016
Status:
Available from OverDrive
Description

In this evocative and affectionate memoir, Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving child of Joe and Rose Kennedy, offers an intimate and illuminating look at a time long ago when she and her siblings, guided by their parents, laughed and learned a great deal under one roof.

Prompted by interesting tidbits in the newspaper, Rose and Joe Kennedy would pose questions to their nine children at the dinner table. "Where could Amelia Earhart have gone?" "How would you address this horrible drought?" "What would you do about the troop movements in Europe?" It was a nightly custom that helped shape the Kennedys into who they would become.

Before Joe and Rose’s children emerged as leaders on the world stage, they were a loving circle of brothers and sisters who played football, swam, read, and pursued their interests. They were children inspired by parents who instilled in them a strong work ethic, deep love of country, and intense appreciation for the sacrifices their ancestors made to come to America. "No whining in this house!" was their father’s regular refrain. It was his way of reminding them not to complain, to be grateful for what they had, and to give back.

In her remarkable memoir, Kennedy Smith—the last surviving sibling—revisits this singular time in their lives. Filled with fascinating anecdotes and vignettes, and illustrated with dozens of family pictures, The Nine of Us vividly depicts this large, close-knit family during a different time in American history. Kennedy Smith offers indelible, elegantly rendered portraits of her larger-than-life siblings and her parents. "They knew how to cure our hurts, bind our wounds, listen to our woes, and help us enjoy life," she writes. "We were lucky children indeed."

Also in This Series
Formats
Adobe EPUB eBook
Works on all eReaders (except Kindles), desktop computers and mobile devices with reading apps installed.
Kindle Book
Works on Kindles and devices with a Kindle app installed.
OverDrive Read
Need Help?
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
More Like This
Other Editions and Formats
More Copies In LINK+
Loading LINK+ Copies...
More Details
Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
10/25/2016
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780062444240
ASIN:
B01BBQ33K0
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Jean Kennedy Smith. (2016). The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy. HarperCollins.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Jean Kennedy Smith. 2016. The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy. HarperCollins.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Jean Kennedy Smith, The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy. HarperCollins, 2016.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Jean Kennedy Smith. The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy. HarperCollins, 2016.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Copy Details
LibraryOwnedAvailable
Shared Digital Collection11
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
cf9e4d9f-f7aa-ccc5-9a9a-adf99302390c
Go To Grouped Work
Needs Update?:
No
Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 15:52:00
Date Updated:
Mar 27, 2024 23:07:33
Last Metadata Check:
Apr 21, 2024 07:15:39
Last Metadata Change:
Mar 31, 2024 07:36:17
Last Availability Check:
Apr 21, 2024 07:15:42
Last Availability Change:
Apr 29, 2023 22:27:45
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
Apr 26, 2024 02:10:38

OverDrive Product Record

images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/2363-1/{4446E931-B869-4794-A91B-FEC4768E0065}IMG100.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/2363-1/{4446E931-B869-4794-A91B-FEC4768E0065}IMG200.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/2363-1/{4446E931-B869-4794-A91B-FEC4768E0065}IMG150.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/2363-1/{4446E931-B869-4794-A91B-FEC4768E0065}IMG400.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
formats
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780062444240
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • identifiers:
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B01BBQ33K0
      • name: Kindle Book
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780062444240
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • id: ebook-overdrive
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9780062444233
mediaType
eBook
primaryCreator
    • role: Author
    • name: Jean Kennedy Smith
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
The Nine of Us
dateAdded
2016-10-13T03:35:30.13Z
contentDetails
      • href: https://link.overdrive.com?websiteID=141&titleID=2570722
      • type: text/html
      • account:
          • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
          • id: 1151
sortTitle
Nine of Us Growing Up Kennedy
crossRefId
2570722
subtitle
Growing Up Kennedy
id
4446E931-B869-4794-A91B-FEC4768E0065
starRating
3.8

OverDrive MetaData

isPublicDomain
False
formats
      • fileName: TheNineofUs_9780062444240_2570722
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 4420673
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780062444240
      • rights:
            • type: Copying
            • value: 0
            • type: Printing
            • value: 0
            • type: Lending
            • value: 0
            • type: ReadAloud
            • value: 1
            • type: ExpirationRights
            • value: 0
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • onSaleDate: 2/27/2024
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=4446e931-b869-4794-a91b-fec4768e0065&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: TheNineofUs_2570722
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 0
      • identifiers:
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B01BBQ33K0
      • name: Kindle Book
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • onSaleDate: 2/27/2024
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=4446e931-b869-4794-a91b-fec4768e0065&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: TheNineofUs_9780062444240_2570722
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 3577327
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780062444240
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-overdrive
      • onSaleDate: 2/27/2024
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=4446e931-b869-4794-a91b-fec4768e0065&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
creators
      • role: Author
      • fileAs: Smith, Jean Kennedy
      • bioText:

        Jean Kennedy Smith is the former United States Ambassador to Ireland and founder of VSA, an international organization that provides arts and education opportunities for people with disabilities and increases access to the arts for all. Smith was named an honorary citizen of Ireland by Irish President Mary McAleese for her contribution to the Irish peace process, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in recognition of her service to people with disabilities. The eighth of nine children born to Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy and Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., Smith is a mother of four and the widow of the late Stephen Smith. She lives in New York.

      • name: Jean Kennedy Smith
imprint
Harper Audio
publishDate
2016-10-25T00:00:00-04:00
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
The Nine of Us
fullDescription

In this evocative and affectionate memoir, Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving child of Joe and Rose Kennedy, offers an intimate and illuminating look at a time long ago when she and her siblings, guided by their parents, laughed and learned a great deal under one roof.

Prompted by interesting tidbits in the newspaper, Rose and Joe Kennedy would pose questions to their nine children at the dinner table. "Where could Amelia Earhart have gone?" "How would you address this horrible drought?" "What would you do about the troop movements in Europe?" It was a nightly custom that helped shape the Kennedys into who they would become.

Before Joe and Rose’s children emerged as leaders on the world stage, they were a loving circle of brothers and sisters who played football, swam, read, and pursued their interests. They were children inspired by parents who instilled in them a strong work ethic, deep love of country, and intense appreciation for the sacrifices their ancestors made to come to America. "No whining in this house!" was their father’s regular refrain. It was his way of reminding them not to complain, to be grateful for what they had, and to give back.

In her remarkable memoir, Kennedy Smith—the last surviving sibling—revisits this singular time in their lives. Filled with fascinating anecdotes and vignettes, and illustrated with dozens of family pictures, The Nine of Us vividly depicts this large, close-knit family during a different time in American history. Kennedy Smith offers indelible, elegantly rendered portraits of her larger-than-life siblings and her parents. "They knew how to cure our hurts, bind our wounds, listen to our woes, and help us enjoy life," she writes. "We were lucky children indeed."

reviews
      • premium: False
      • source: Providence Journal
      • content:

        "Rhis book, filled with childhood photos and reminiscences, is an engaging look at a large, close-knit family in the 1930s and '40s, albeit one more privileged than most. No doubt some of these anecdotes have been told before, but hearing them from the last surviving Kennedy sibling gives them an added poignancy." — Providence Journal

        "There are useful lessons here, not just for grandchildren but for Americans as a whole, especially those who might wonder how the Kennedys so captured the popular imagination." — Chicago Tribune

      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        August 22, 2016
        Smith is the last remaining child of Joseph and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, and her tender memoir recounts the family's early home life. Smith is the former U.S. ambassador to Ireland and a founder of VSA, an international organization providing arts and education opportunities for people with disabilities. Her narrative takes readers back in time to the 1930s–1950s, when the now nearly mythic Kennedy family consisted of two devoted parents and their nine children. Smith includes a chapter on the prejudice against the Irish that Smith's great-grandparents experienced, and their subsequent rise within Boston society. She concludes her narrative as her brother Jack becomes the president of the United States. In between, Smith divulges domestic routines and rules; chronicles the family's love of the ocean and sports, especially touch football, sailing, and tennis; and explores her mother's insistence upon "cultivation of the mind" and learning about the world. Conversations during family dinners focused on current events or history. Smith sprinkles numerous family photos and quotes throughout the narrative, providing additional dimension. This is a sweet and loving look back at the Kennedy family, written from the perspective of a daughter as well as a sister.

      • premium: True
      • source: Kirkus
      • content:

        Fond memories from the last surviving child of Joseph and Rose Kennedy.Smith, the eighth of her parents' nine children, offers a warm portrait of her happy childhood, when she reveled in the company of her brothers and sisters, guided by her inspiring, supportive parents. Born in 1928, she grew up in their Bronxville home, where the family moved from Brookline, Massachusetts, to be closer to Joseph Kennedy's work in Manhattan, and in their beloved summer house in Hyannis Port, on Cape Cod. "Saltwater was in our blood," she writes, "in our genes." Smith portrays Joe as a devoted father and husband who "flooded us with affection" and enjoyed nothing more than dinner--promptly served at 7:15--surrounded by his adoring clan. Dinner conversation veered toward politics, with "a lighthearted game" that consisted of quizzes about what each child would do if confronted with one political problem or another. Both parents instilled in the children a sense of service and responsibility; Rose was a stickler for lessons, which she felt "strengthened our knowledge and resolve." These included music, sports, art, languages, and whatever "subject and hobby that interested us, and even some that did not." Managing nine children involved discipline and organization. Anyone who disobeyed was sent to Rose' clothes closet for punishment. She guided the children's mealtime and bedtime prayers, and she kept track of their "vital statistics" on index cards, which she updated each week. Smith idolized her older brothers Joe (who was her godfather) and Jack (godfather to Teddy); her closest playmate was Teddy, the last born; and she adored her elegant sisters Kick and Pat. Smith defends her parents' decision to treat Rosemary's "anxieties" and "agitation" with a lobotomy, which went "tragically wrong." As with other losses and crises, the family "could do only one thing in the aftermath: move forward." The author's idealized view of her family counters many biographical portraits of the Kennedys. As the family photos illustrating this memoir attest, for Smith, all was sunshine, smiles, and elegance. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      • premium: True
      • source: Library Journal
      • content:

        September 1, 2016

        In this memoir of individual vignettes, Kennedy Smith, former U.S. ambassador to Ireland and the last living sibling of former president John F. Kennedy, recounts the stories of her family, especially those formed at their summer home in Hyannis Port, MA. While the author briefly discusses the siblings' later years, the bulk of the book centers on their upbringing. The short, nostalgic accounts feature less of the author's own experiences, instead spotlighting how other family members impacted her life. Narrating the specific influences of their parents, who encouraged each child to think for themselves, she illustrates how each was groomed to make a difference in the lives of others. With tales of touch football, local sailboat races, and the brief time the children spent in Britain when their father was appointed ambassador, this memoir relates the siblings' impressive lives together, providing a look into the childhoods of one of the most influential political families, before they became adults who took on the world. VERDICT This quick read will appeal to history buffs, Kennedy enthusiasts, and casual readers who enjoy lighter biographies. [See Prepub Alert, 4/25/16.]--Stacy Shaw, Orange, CA

        Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

      • premium: True
      • source: Library Journal
      • content:

        May 15, 2016

        Former U.S. ambassador to Ireland, Kennedy Smith is the eighth of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Now, as the last surviving sibling, she offers a heartwarming account of their upbringing. With a 150,000-copy first printing.

        Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

popularity
449
links
    • self:
        • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/4446e931-b869-4794-a91b-fec4768e0065/metadata
        • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
id
4446e931-b869-4794-a91b-fec4768e0065
starRating
3.8
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/2363-1/{4446E931-B869-4794-A91B-FEC4768E0065}IMG100.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/2363-1/{4446E931-B869-4794-A91B-FEC4768E0065}IMG200.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/2363-1/{4446E931-B869-4794-A91B-FEC4768E0065}IMG150.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/2363-1/{4446E931-B869-4794-A91B-FEC4768E0065}IMG400.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
isPublicPerformanceAllowed
False
languages
      • code: en
      • name: English
subjects
      • value: Family & Relationships
      • value: History
      • value: Nonfiction
publishDateText
10/25/2016
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9780062444233
mediaType
eBook
shortDescription

In this evocative and affectionate memoir, Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving child of Joe and Rose Kennedy, offers an intimate and illuminating look at a time long ago when she and her siblings, guided by their parents, laughed and learned a great deal under one roof.

Prompted by interesting tidbits in the newspaper, Rose and Joe Kennedy would pose questions to their nine children at the dinner table. "Where could Amelia Earhart have gone?" "How would you address this horrible drought?" "What would you do about the troop movements in Europe?" It was a nightly custom that helped shape the Kennedys into who they would become.

Before Joe and Rose’s children emerged as leaders on the world stage, they were a loving circle of brothers and sisters who played football, swam, read, and pursued their interests. They were children inspired by parents who instilled in them a strong work ethic, deep love of country, and intense appreciation for the...

sortTitle
Nine of Us Growing Up Kennedy
crossRefId
2570722
subtitle
Growing Up Kennedy
publisher
HarperCollins
bisacCodes
      • code: HIS036010
      • description: History / United States / State & Local / General
      • code: HIS036060
      • description: History / United States / 20th Century
      • code: HIS036100
      • description: History / United States / State & Local / New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)