Once Upon a Secret..My hidden affair with JFK by Mimi Alford

When young Marion Beardsley arrived in Washington D.C. to intern at the White House she could never have imagined how things would quickly run from the barely know you to the intimate.
19, sheltered and rather naive, the 18 month relationship that transpired would have never so much as shot across Mimi`s thought path beforehand, the fact that it stayed a secret for so long is testimony to both her ability to be discreet and her having no desire to become a footnote to History, especially at a time when footnotes to JFK`s history were literally rushing out of the gate to stake their claim!
In this well written, easy to read book Beardsley details the relationship, the good, the bad and the yukky with well measured words and a wisdom that age brings, she is stunningly honest and accepts the reality of the situation with alacrity, she certainly has the ability to paint her picture with little gratuitousness and a thankfulness for the insider experiences she had while placing them in the context of Kennedy`s known behaviour pattern with Women.
I found it rather sad that the first person she trusted with her secret betrayed her within their relationship in such a sad and pathetic manner and was unable to see past the gritty and provide the support she needed, thankfully this came later, sad too that Alford got rid of gifts she should have kept.
A good read, a further insight into Kennedy and his retinue and a little snapshot of one woman`s moment in time.Available in soft cover at all good book shops.