I found this book highly entertaining. Ms. Callahan has done her homework on the Kennedy men. I am not sure if a single one that might have been considered a victim is left out. It makes me wonder about Kennedy women who might have had a positive experience. This is, after all, a very large family. The era of JFK, RFK, and others was one where women were often discounted, misused, and otherwise treated badly. The Kennedys were one family of many whose men dominated the women they partnered with. The Kennedy wealth and power gave them extraordinary opportunities to abuse, neglect, and otherwise use their power over the women in their lives. They also had an example in the patriarch of the family, who influenced history with his money and contacts. Ms. Callahan tells the story well. For those who like the history of the Kennedys this is one to read. Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this very interesting book.

This was a very good book. I am a fan of anything Kennedy, and this book is one of the best. Very good writing on various Kennedy’s and the women around them. This book holds your interest and is very informative. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley , the author and the publisher for the arc of this book. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

Admittedly, the height of the Kennedy family's popularity was before my time, but I found this intimate expose very engaging. From scandalous affairs to incredible sacrifice for the sake of the Kennedy reputation, Ask Not engages its readers through a different lens, drawing attention to the myriad of women in the sphere of the great Kennedy machine. A fantastic glimpse into a different angle of history that I recommend!

This book was a very interesting and insightful read. The author's take on the Kennedy family was definitely unique and opened my eyes to a lot of stories surrounding the family that I was not previously aware of. There are so many books written about the Kennedy family but this one definitely stands out since the author is highly critical of many members of the family and their treatment of various women, including some who were born into the family and some who married into it. The book was very easy to read and I would describe it as a page turner; it was hard for me to put the book down once I began reading it. The author's writing can definitely be sensational at times but I appreciate the fact that she gave a voice to so many women who were often overlooked and who suffered at the hands of members of such a prominent family. There are chapters on many different women including Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love the trend of re-examining how we have treated and portrayed women in the media. This book is that and so much more. This book takes the stories we know about the Kennedy family and specifically the women of the family or around the family and gives us a whole new perspective. Take for instance Carolyn Besette-Kennedy. If you grew up in the 90s, you knew her as cold, unsympathetic to JFK Jr. and all around unpleasant. Upon reexamination by Callahan, we see that maybe we had it all wrong, maybe life with JFK Jr. was not a fairytale at all, Maybe he was not so easy to live with after all. This book goes through many of the famous women of the Kennedy family; Jackie Kennedy and those less familiar to many, Martha Moxley for example. A well researched and well written book. I flew through it and learned so much. After reading this book I have since picked up a biography on Carolyn Besette-Kennedy to learn what else I got wrong. Highly recommend to all fans and critics alike of the Kennedy family as well as those that like to re-think what they know about history.

Maureen Callahan obviously did her research. She must have read 5 million books about the Kennedys. But often it read like fiction—I presume she didn't make anything up but it was difficult to know how she would know about, for example, a "death wish" look in JFK Jr's eyes. Was this something the only person who could have possibly seen this—his ex-girlfriend Christina—said or wrote? I presume so, but I don't know because Callahan doesn't attribute in the text except very rarely. I'm not a huge fan of that style of journalism.

Also... this is pages and pages of just how gruesome the Kennedy men were to women. They were either cheating on them, dumping them, sexually assaulting them, or killing them, and sometimes all of that.

And yet... they were Kennedys! They were famous and rich and had good hair. And apparently all very bad in bed. But... Kennedy!

Often I found the women not that sympathetic. I mean, Christina Haag... how many times can JFK Jr try to (inadvertently, presumably....) try to kill you before you wake up and go, "Hey, maybe this isn't worth dating a Kennedy..."

To read how time after time many of the Kennedy women ignored alarm bells blaring ear-split tingly inside their heads to run like hell from a Kennedy... but... you know... Kennedy! So let's not!

I love a good "men suck" book but this was depressing.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Growing up in the 60s you could,not escape Camelot or the never ending news and gossip about the Kennedys. And now Maureen Callahan brings out the truth we all assumed but were afraid to believe from father Joe to the tragic life of John Jr. no stone is left unturned. Explosive and well researched - a must read for everyone who has followed the lives of the Kennedys.

It's a reality show type of book. Easy to read. But I doubt the authenticy of the actual events as Ms. Callahan is writing from an opnion point of view and urges the readers to not vote for Robert Kennedy Jr. in 2024 as, she write, he is "a prominent conspiracy theorist and anti-vaxxer, who has made racist and antisemitic comments.:

None of those statements are true - so a reader would therefore have to consider that everything in the book is fiction.

This is not a book I'd handsell, unless the reader had an intense dislike for the Kennedys.

The Kennedy's have been talked about for years and I have always been interested in the stories around the Kennedy's. This book though was definitely a different take on the Kennedy's though.
I really enjoyed the book, the female stories it told. Though not every story was happy and I definitely don't respect many of the Kennedy's men after this book.
I really like the growth a couple of the woman in this book also went though and though they had it rough with their Kennedy men they changed and made life better in the end.
If you enjoy history I would definitely check out this book.

Whew...this book. Callahan pulls no punches in revealing the down and dirty in the Kennedy legacy. It was interesting, sickening, rage inducing, and so sad. The stories of the women left in their wake was eye-opening and reminiscent of the dynastic families in the news today. JFK was a crap president and the lengths Jackie went to to change that legacy was super interesting. This is a must read for history and Kennedy buffs.

The author starts off, in the prologue, saying she was taking “creative license”…um, honey, that does not qualify as nonfiction!? So, that had me questioning the entire accuracy of the book. Next: I was taught in, like, 3rd grade that sentences should not begin with “and” or “but”. The author repeats that crime numerous times. Missing commas, too many informal conjunctions as well. Not my style preference. Another, and the biggest, reason why this author needed fiftyleven more editors? There is far too much straight up wrong information. I shall be kind and just name 2: RFK Jr was 14 when his father died, not 9 like the author states. She states that Ted Kennedy was at Mary Kennedy’s funeral. She died in 2012, he in 2009?! Idk…I find it ironic that this author repeatedly calls the Kennedys ignorant, yet she cannot fact check easily Google-able info or use a semicolon. What this book does well: gets my blood boiling about some of the egregious things that this family has done for over half of a century! Also, I was not aware of each of these women or stories. So, shedding light on that is very important. This book still disappointed me. I wanted retribution for these women! Yet, I barely feel that from this book. This author is mediocre and lowkey gots a mean streak. Both toward this family (fair) and even worse—toward these victims of abuse!

I enjoyed parts of this book. But some of it read in a tabloid-ish way. Many of the stories I'd read previously, but some of the information was new to me. Obviously, the men behaved poorly but some of the ladies were unnecessarily portrayed as helpless victims, Some of them made repeated decisions to permit the men to treat them badly. That said, some of them were helpless victims (Mary Jo Kopechne in particular). Interesting read.

If you haven’t read Maureen Callahan’s book American Predator, get it right now. It’s a compelling and detailed look at serial killer Israel Keys and it was an excellent true crime book. Ever since reading it, I kept looking to see if Maureen had come out with something new and finally, yes, here it is: Ask Not, The Kennedys and The Women They Destroyed.

What an interesting and detailed look inside the Kennedy men and their (awful) treatment of women like Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, to name just two.

The Kennedy name has long been synonymous with wealth, power, glamor, and — above all else — integrity. But this carefully constructed veneer hides a dark truth: the pattern of Kennedy men physically and psychologically abusing women and girls, leaving a trail of ruin and death in each generation’s wake. Through decades of scandal after scandal — from sexual assaults to reputational slander, suicides to manslaughter — the family and their defenders have kept the Kennedy brand intact. Now, in Ask Not, bestselling author and journalist Maureen Callahan reveals the Kennedys’ hidden history of violence and exploitation, laying bare their unrepentant sexism and rampant depravity while also restoring these women and girls to their rightful place at the center of the dynasty’s story: from Jacqueline Onassis and Marilyn Monroe to Carolyn Bessette, Martha Moxley, Mary Jo Kopechne, Rosemary Kennedy, and many others whose names aren’t nearly as well known but should be.

Drawing on years of explosive reportage and written in electric prose, Ask Not is a long-overdue reckoning with this fabled family and a consequential part of American history that is still very much with us. At long last, Callahan redirects the spotlight to the women in the Kennedys’ orbit, paying homage to those who freed themselves and giving voice to those who, through no fault of their own, could not.

Quick Summary: Thought provoking and troubling conjecture that gives reason to pause for consideration

My Review: Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed by Maureen Callahan was recently published (7/2/24). It is listed as a biographical history.

About the Book: This non fiction read is "a fierce, character-driven exposé of the real Kennedy Curse—the family’s generations-long legacy of misogyny, murder, and mayhem—and the women who have paid the price for our obsession with Camelot."

The Kennedys have always had an allure about them. They have proven to be quite fascinating over the decades, in fact. The family, often portrayed as one of America's "royalty," have often seemed to position themselves as pristine and wholesome models of the upper echelons of society, yet they have also been viewed through a lens related to the accursed. With perceived dark secrets, alleged cover ups, seemingly covert manipulations, and supposed underhanded actions, the influence and reach of this powerful lineage is now being assessed and called into question by an American columnist known for writing opinion pieces.

My Final Say: What I found to be a most interesting dichotomy pertaining to this book was the fact that the author reveals that she did extensive research, while at the same time, she indicated that she took creative liberties with the content. That spoke volumes.

The presented information was put together in a way that encourages conversation.

Rating: 3/5
Recommend: +/-
Audience: A
Status/Level: 💬

Thanks to the author, to the publisher (Little, Brown and Company), and to NetGalley for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The words I have voluntarily shared are my own thoughts and opinions.

Thanks to Little, Brown, & Company and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Women featured in this book are:
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, wife of John F. Kennedy, Jr.; Jackie Kennedy, wife of John F. Kennedy; Joan Kennedy, wife of Ted Kennedy; Mary Jo Kopechne, acquaintance of Ted Kennedy; Rosemary Kennedy and Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, sisters of Jack and Bobby Kennedy; Mary Richardson Kennedy, wife of Robert Kennedy, Jr.; Marilyn Monroe, “friend” of John F. Kennedy, plus a few more women who were not as well known: Martha Moxley (while tragic, this is really Kennedy-adjacent as it was a cousin of the Kennedys who killed Martha, not an actual Kennedy), Pamela Kelley, friend to David and Joe Kennedy II, and Christina Haag, longtime girlfriend of JFK, Jr. There are two teenagers who were involved with JFK while he was in the White House (not to be confused with the young women nicknamed Fiddle and Faddle, who don’t even get a mention in this book.)

If you don’t mind tabloid-style of writing, this book might be for you. After reading this book, I looked up the author and it appears she writes for the Daily Mail, which is known to lean right in their convictions. However, it is important to point out that politics does not really take a place in this book. This is about the crappy behavior of various Kennedy men throughout the years and their victims, all women. While the writer clearly has an agenda with writing a Kennedy hit piece, you can’t argue with known facts, compiled together for the first time that I’ve seen. Most of Callahan’s sources are secondary, but I don’t believe that diminishes the stories.

What really bothers me is that with some of the more well-known women like Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, they are portrayed not just as victims but written in a way that makes it seem like they were asking for all their troubles, which defeats the purpose of the book. Almost like slut-shaming them for getting and staying involved with toxic Kennedy men.

All too often history is told by the hunter. Today, the lions get to speak. Finally. I could not put this book down-I read the first 100 pages in one massive gulp. Riveted. I knew, from American Predator, that Maureen Callahan was an outstanding writer. However, she’s come out even stronger in this one. I totally lost myself in the worlds of each woman profiled. The absolute terror and heartbreak…I’ve been a US History teacher for 22 years and I felt it in an entirely new way because of this book. I am so proud to see women’s stories being centered in a way that they’re never been before. Brave, fierce, beautiful.

This is the type of book that surprises you with some of the stories you probably never heard about or read about in the headlines. The Kennedy men were not nice to the women in their lives. It is really sad to see how the women were treated and disrespected.

One the other side of the coin, the Kennedy men did a lot of great things for this country, it is very hard to correlate their behavior in the public view verses their private lives.

This was a great read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Kennedy's or in politics.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this advance ARC.

To the surprise of, wait….show of hands? Hands? No one, the men of clan Kennedy physically, psychologically and emotionally destroy women. This book covers thirteen of them, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Mimi Beardsley, Diana deVegh, Marilyn Monroe, Mary Richardson Kennedy, Kick Kennedy, Mary Jo Kopechne, Joan Kennedy, , Pamela Kelley, Martha Moxley, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy and Rosemary Kennedy.

First off, is anyone asking RFK, Jr,, current candidate for President hard questions about his first wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy? She committed suicide after he cut her off financially and told her she would be better off dead. This delightful charmer also tried to blame two inner city youths, one Black, one brown for the killing of Martha Moxley. Great guy, that RFK, Jr.

And in an effort to keep the Kennedy name clean (um, yeah. About that…) the Kennedy women have become complicit. Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver were instrumental in having a miniseries about the family blocked.

“Kennedy men tended to treat their women as afterthoughts.” They all seem to have “that male Kennedy entitlement that their wives should be mind readers, hostesses who could throw together a dinner for twelve at the last minute, the uncomplaining Cool Girl.”

The book shows, over and over again, how the women are either told explicitly or made to think that they know what they are getting with a Kennedy man, and, therefore, deserve the way in which they are treated. The mere idea of being with a Kennedy man makes up for it. It really makes you want to vomit.

Oh, and you’ll come out hating Diane Sawyer, too.

I have long had a fascination with the Kennedys, but I hold no illusions about them. I can recognize that they did great things, suffered great tragedies and also engaged in reprehensible behavior. So when I saw that Maureen Callahan, author of American Predator, had a new book coming out about them, I rushed to procure a copy. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it and here are my complicated feelings.

I know the Kennedy men have a toxic streak that started with the patriarch Joe Kennedy and has carried down through the generations. Add to that money and power and it becomes a lethal weapon and many, if not most, of the women in their orbit have been damaged. This book doesn’t tread new ground, I have heard all of this before. The womanizing and never ending affairs. Joe Kennedy’s secret lobotomy of his eldest daughter that left her severely brain damaged. Jack and Bobby’s possible involvement in Marilyn Monroe’s death. Chappaquiddick. JFK Jr’s reckless behavior that caused his plane to crash killing not only himself but his wife and sister-in-law. RFK’s Jr’s womanizing, drug addiction and cruel treatment of his second wife, which ultimately ended in her suicide. I knew all of this, but when combined and read all at once it became overwhelming, infuriating and saddening.

And as I continued reading this book last night, I realized I had a few problems with it. First, it had a meanness about it. The author almost seemed to relish and delight in telling about these events. And I was under the assumption that the book was supposed to be about liberating the women from their abuse by exposing it. Yet, the author seemed to be intent on painting many of the women (victims)in as poor a light as possible. Yes, people are complicated and multi-faceted, but this felt cruel and unnecessary. It all ended up coming across a bit gossipy and I felt a little dirty after reading it. Something about this one rubbed me the wrong way. Still, if you want to read about hubris, entitlement and selfishness taken to the maximum extreme, give this one a read.
Thank you to @netgalley and @littlebrown for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A eye opening look at the way the Kennedy men treated their women from the opening chapter about JFK JR and his marriage unhappy marriage to Caroline Bessette his entitlement and. huge ego flew them to their death.I was immediately drawn into this well written well researched book and found it a really interesting.#netgalley #asknot